


On the Line

by MashiarasDream



Series: Yours!verse [16]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alpha!Balthazar, Alpha!Cain, Alpha!Eileen, Alpha!Ezekiel, Alpha!Sam, Fluff, Fucked up society, M/M, Omega!Adam, Omega!Gabriel, Some angst, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!cas, alpha!michael, but really mostly domestic fluff, established relationships - Freeform, no smut alas, omega!dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14196906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MashiarasDream/pseuds/MashiarasDream
Summary: It’s early summer and things are going well at the Novak Pack, with Cain settling in better than expected, the Pack Oversight Agency keeping their meddling to paperwork for now and even though not everything is sunshine and roses, there actually is a lot of sunshine these days which Dean enjoys outside with the pups. So of course that is when Gabriel delivers unexpected news.





	On the Line

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for all of your feedback what you want to see in this verse! Most of it actually fits pretty well with the things I want to see, too. But let me repeat one thing: This is mostly happy A/B/O. Yes, tragedies happen. But in the end, this is a story about how love and respect and honesty and good communication all work together to _avert_ the worst outcomes. 
> 
> As always, thank you to my beta-readers (this time: WatchingOne, keepcalmanddonotblink, staunchlyblue and nikolaus_chaser), you are awesome! All remaining errors are mine and mine alone

“Hey.“

Gabe drops down on the other side of the blanket before Dean’s even had the chance to look up from his book. Which, admittedly, makes for good reading. Go figure that Rowena would be the one to assign them something that has a title that sounds like New Age Witchcraft but which actually holds good insights.

“What are you doing here, man?” Dean frowns.

“Is that a way to greet your best friend?” Gabe frowns right back.

“Dude, you’re supposed to be holed up. There are two Alphas not a hundred yards from here, and neither of them is yours.”

Gabe squints in the direction of the bee hives, where Cain and Cas are doing what Dean guesses is Very Important Work. He shudders at the thought of having all of those little flying creatures swirling around him. His daughter on the other hand… His fingers clamp around his book, instinct to save his daughter from the tiny monsters immediate. Not that she needs saving. In fact, she seems intently concentrated, watching what her Dad and her Granddad are doing from behind her too big beekeeper’s mask. Dean shakes his head. He doesn’t get it. His lively two-year-old would have been the last person he’d thought would be interested in moving very slowly and carefully around bees of all things.

“She’s still got that adoration thing going with the Alphas, doesn’t she?” Gabe asks.

Dean shrugs. “I think she’s supposed to adore her Dad. And Cain, well, he’s a good grandfather.”

“Yeah, seems like he’s settling in well,” Gabe nods.

“None of that explains why you’re here, though,” Dean comes back to the topic at hand. “I mean, those two are mostly harmless but this isn’t exactly safe. You have at least a day or two to go before your heat’s gone, man.”

“I know,” Gabe grumbles. Dean can see how he keeps himself on the far side of the blanket, away from even Dean and the pups. “Sitting at home drives me out of my mind. I’m gonna take the risk of an Alpha fucking me up before I end up literally ripping myself to shreds.”

“Umm.” Dean’s not really got an answer to that. “What about Bal? Shouldn’t he be, you know, helping with that?” He gestures vaguely at Gabe’s sweat-soaked body.

Gabe futilely kicks at a stone near the blanket. “Jesse’s parents are here.”

“Oh. Ohhhh,” Dean says.

“Yeah,” Gabe growls. “Fucking sucks.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “I can imagine.”

“Like, they’ve taken all this time, couldn’t they have waited another week? Just long enough for me not to smell like a buffet? To actually be able to be in the room and discuss Jesse’s future? But no, that’s too much to ask.” Gabe digs for a pebble and throws it in the general direction of the lake. It falls woefully short.

“I’m sure you’ve briefed Bal well,” Dean tries to find something encouraging to say.

“Yeah, sure. I’ve had lots of time to brief him in the past few days,” Gabe bites. Or tries to bite because the pain is all too clear under the sarcasm.

“Gabe, man…” Dean is at a bit of a loss. At least Gabe staying on the other side of the blanket means that his upset scent is too muted to reach the twins in an intensity that would wake them up from their midday nap in the shade.

 “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Gabe sighs and starts picking grass instead of throwing stones. “He has Jesse’s best interest in mind, too, and yada yada yada. It’s just that…”

“Jesse’s your responsibility. And there’s a bunch of Alphas deciding his fate now. I get it, Gabe. I do.” Dean isn’t really sure how this is going to go over, so his voice is hesitant when he adds. “You could have briefed me, too, you know. I would have gone to the meeting.”

Gabe nods jerkily. “Yeah, and I would have. It’s just…” He shrugs.

There’s any number of options that could follow after that. It’s just that Dean’s got his hands full with three pups of his own, a nephew who is getting more mischievous by the day, and a grandfather to integrate into the pack. Or, it’s just that Gabe spent the last few days in no condition to brief anyone on anything because struggling through a heat is bad enough without having a strained relationship with your mate. Balthazar being stressed is not the most fun in the first place, dealing with his Alpha-side for a week while he’s unhappy with you can’t be a joyful event.

And then there’s the ‘it’s just’ where it’s just that Dean and Gabe don’t actually have this kind of rapport with each other anymore. Where Gabe didn’t even think about the option of calling Dean for this. Or, maybe even worse, where the option crossed his mind but he didn’t want to take it.

Then of course, Gabe is also here right now. And okay, there aren’t actually all that many people that it’s safe for him to be around right now, but still. He could have chosen not to seek out Dean. Or to move on when he stumbled upon them at their spot by the lake.

It may not be much but Dean’s gonna take it. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all. “Do you wanna talk about it?” he asks.

Gabriel grimaces. “About what exactly? Jesse?”

Dean shrugs. “Jesse. Bal. Ezekiel. Pups. Us. You pick.”

“You do know that my brain is still all fucked up on heat hormones, right?”

“You seem coherent enough to me.”

“Maybe it’s because my brain never works that well. The difference isn’t all that noticeable.”

“Yeah, no, man, it‘s got nothing to do with that,” Dean shakes his head. “Woulda have thought the hormones would make you loopy enough to actually be a little _less_ caustic. And I’m not seeing it.”

Gabe harrumphs but otherwise stays quiet. Dean lets him, too. Gabe’s been angry at the world for so long, it always takes a while for him to get to whatever is actually bugging him.

 “It’s just all such a clusterfuck,” Gabe finally says defeatedly. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“You could start with the last few days. How did that go?”

“Well, he didn’t feel the need to lock me in when he had to leave,” Gabe says. “So I guess that’s something.”

“Dude…” Dean can’t quite keep his voice neutral.

But Gabe waves him off. “I said _felt the need to_ , I didn’t say he’d actually do it. Though I officially gave him permission and stuff. Back when this whole thing started. I mean, he tries to be there 24/7. But sometimes shit comes up in the dorms and someone has to handle it.” He shrugs. “So I gathered that if it gives his Alpha more security to know that I have no choice but to still be right where he left me…”

“Dude!”

“Oh, don’t be a drama queen, Dean. It’s not like I don’t have a fully stocked apartment. Or like I’d actually want to go out in the middle of a heat.”

“You are here right now,” Dean points out.

Gabe rolls his eyes but apparently has no argument because he ignores the comment and says, “In any case, I take it as a good sign that the topic didn’t even come up. Maybe he’s finally getting it through his skull that I’m not unfaithful.”

“Hate to break it to you but I don’t even think that’s the problem.”

Gabriel’s face scrunches up in confusion.

“Dude, he’d smell Ezekiel on you if you were sleeping with him. It’s not your body he’s worried about.”

When Gabriel keeps staring at him, Dean groans. He’s gonna have to spell this out.

“Your heart? You know? The part of you that took him so long to reach? And that he’s terrified of losing?”

“Oh,” Gabriel says and Dean has the urge to literally facepalm.

“Yeah, _oh_ ,” he echoes with a shake of his head. “You seriously didn’t figure this one out on your own?”

“I…, umm.” Could be the fact that his body is still playing steam cooker why Gabe’s face is all red but Dean would bet that it isn’t the reason.

“I really thought that this one had managed to get through your thick skull at some point.” Dean tries to keep his voice light but it still comes out too tight. “You’ve left the business almost a decade ago, man. Everyone here wants you around for _you_. Not your body. And Bal’s no exception to that.” Somehow, it feels like a personal failure that Gabe still doesn’t seem to believe it.

Gabe turns his head away, not letting Dean see his reaction. Well, Dean’s going to respect his wishes and not comment but it doesn’t keep him from rummaging in the big bag with all of their stuff until he unearths a box of tissues. He throws them in Gabe’s general direction. Gabe nods his thanks, immediately pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose.

After that, they sit in silence.

The Alphas are finished with the hive they’d been working on and are moving on to the next. Mary is jumping excitedly up and down, taking both her father’s and her grandfather’s hand, just to run forward and throw herself in the air, giving the adults no choice but to lift her up until she flies. Dean can hear her “whee!!!” all the way where he’s sitting. He can’t hear the answering rumble of laughter from the Alphas but he’s pretty sure it’s there because they indulge her again and again, neither of them tiring of the game in the time it takes to reach the next hive.

And that in itself is a minor miracle, seeing how Cain has only been here for a few short months. In fact, Dean almost wants to call out to them and tell them to take it slow. Which Cain is supposed to do. Dean snorts to himself. Yeah, right, like that’s going to happen.

“What’s so funny?” Gabe asks.

It’s carefully neutral but there’s an edge to Gabe’s tone that he can’t keep out. Dean has no idea when Gabe got this suspicious. Probably around the same time that Ezekiel came into their lives. He sighs. “Just thinking about how my father is a stubborn bastard.”

“Well, not exactly unexpected. Knowing you and all.”

It’s supposed to be light-hearted teasing, so Dean grunts in recognition of that. “Takes one to know one. Stubborn ass, I mean.”

Gabe shrugs. “Unlike you, I’ve never been ashamed of it.”

And Dean guesses that’s true, so he nods with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

“Though I guess I also got into more trouble than you did,” Gabe acknowledges.

Which is also true but not so much a function of stubbornness and more of, “Luck. Pure, unadulterated luck. If I hadn’t accidentally ended up here…” Dean shrugs again. He knows he’s reasonably good looking, even if he’s too tall with too wide shoulders to be the ideal Omega. But enough Alphas have commented on his features in his youth. On his ass mostly, but also on his freckles and the color of his eyes when they tried to be subtle. He knows that there’s a market for his body. Though of course judging from the whispered words of what they’d like to do to him, the market for a tall and well-muscled Omega was to be violently overpowered.

“Dude! The twins?”

Dean shakes himself out of his dark thoughts to find Rob whimpering, big watery eyes following Dean’s every movement, while Ben is squirming but at least seems to be mostly asleep still.

“Shh, honey, I’m sorry,” Dean immediately clears his book from his lap to scoop Rob up. “It’s okay. Daddy is okay. It’s all good.” He gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then looks up to ask Gabe. “Do you mind?” Because the fastest way to calm Rob down seems to be a combination of closeness and food, and Dean can provide both.

Gabe looks around but they’re on land that belongs to the cabin. No one really came here even before Cain moved in. “What about them?” he gestures towards the Alphas.

“What about them?” Dean asks back and opens his shirt.

“Well…”

“Dude, my water broke in Cain’s kitchen. He can deal with an open shirt. And Cas knows to keep his hands off me when we’re in public.”

“Right.” Gabe’s sarcasm comes through loud and clear.

“Okay, when the pups have possession of me,” Dean amends and loosens Rob’s hand from his collar before he can accidentally strangle him.

“Yeah, I’ll give you that one,” Gabe says grudgingly.

“You wanna take Ben? He’s about to wake up.”

That literally takes Gabe aback.

“If you’re lucky it’ll even make your hormones simmer down for a while.”

Gabe still looks doubtful. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“Dude, you’re not taboo or something.”

“But my smell…”

“Will get recognized as your smell. He’s too small to know why it’s a little more potent today.”

Gabe looks hesitant but he moves a little closer, enough to at least get a hand on Ben’s stomach. “How are you doing, little man?”

Ben is still a bit drowsy, opening and closing his eyes a few times and turning his head to find Dean.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, that’s Uncle Gabe. You know Uncle Gabe. He and Uncle Bal are your sister’s favorites. Well, and Grandpa Cain.”

Ben makes a half-hearted attempt at an excited gurgle though his eyes keep falling closed. Finally, he gives up and stretches out his arms instead.

“Just pick him up. He’s tired still. He’ll be back asleep in no time as long as he’s got someone to cuddle.”

Gabe is clearly cautious but he does as he’s told. Ben makes an indignant noise of protest when the movement is too fast for him, but then when he’s pressed against Gabe’s chest, he lets his head sink onto Gabe’s shoulder.

“You better find a comfortable spot to sit. This is gonna take a while.”

Gabe grumbles a little, but in the end decides to come closer to share the tree Dean is leaning against.

“I’m sorry,” Gabe mumbles when Dean stifles a sneeze.

“Dude, I’m allergic to pollen, not to you. Unless you’ve turned into a cat, I’m allergic to those, too.”

“Nah, no furries for me,” Gabe harrumphs.

“I’m reasonably sure that’s _not_ what I meant.”

That makes Gabe chuckle. “So you’re not allergic to those?”

“Dude, your brother and I are not into roleplay.”

“Eww, right, baby brother. TMI. Do not want to know.”

They both laugh for a moment, the twins not understanding but making happy noises with them.

When they fall silent again, Gabe moves Ben on his arm a little to reach into his pocket. “There was actually something else.” He fishes out a rumpled envelope and hands it to Dean.

“What is this?”

Gabe shrugs and looks away, so Dean juggles Rob into a new position so that he can try to open the envelope one-handed. It doesn’t really work and Rob’s face immediately scrunches up, so Dean gives up.

“Looks like the options are either that you tell me or that I’m going to look at this later,” Dean sighs and pockets the envelope before stroking a hand down Rob’s back. “I’m not going to lay you back down, no worries. You get to cuddle all you want.”

“Give it on to Cassie. I would do it myself, but…” Gabe shrugs.

“But what _is_ it, Gabe?”

“Info about Luke’s offspring, apparently. Who has disappeared. Luke, I mean, not his kid. His kid is, uhh, waiting for him.”

“Waiting for him?”

“Ready to be picked up at the age of 3. If you pay the outstanding bill that is.”

Dean’s mouth opens but he has to take two tries to get out any words. “Come again?”

“Zeke gave me the info. Right before, y’know. Pretty sure the timing wasn’t coincidence. Told me that he knew how much I wanted a pup of my own and that when he saw the info, he knew that this was going to be my chance. But that I better not show this to Cassie because he’d never let me have the pup or some such bullshit.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” Gabe nods bitterly. “Well, I guess at least we know where we stand now. He’s sold us out.”

Dean can’t find it in himself to even feign surprise. “We’ve always expected that.”

“Yeah, but we also thought that we’d at least get word from Adam. Instead we get – this.” Gabe gestures vaguely.

“But the info – is it legit?”

“I have no idea. Though I guess the pack-Alpha has the resources to check.”

There is so much resignation and defeat in Gabe’s voice that it takes Dean a moment to be able to answer. “I’m sorry.”

Gabe shrugs. “’s not your fault.”

“Yeah, I know. But this is a shitty thing to do on purpose. Especially to someone who has done nothing but been a friend.” Dean stops and takes a deep breath because he’s getting seriously angry and that will not help with keeping the pups in a good mood. But it’s a fucked-up thing to do to play with Gabe’s biggest source of depression like this. With what he sees as his biggest failure in life. And at a time when all of his hormones tell him to mate and get knocked up while he knows logically that it won’t happen. That it can’t happen.

“I didn’t tell Bal yet. If you could get Cassie to conduct his research quietly for a couple of days, that would be – helpful.”

“Let me guess, Bal has threatened to kill Ezekiel?”

“Not lately. But Zeke approaching me in pre-heat is not going to go over well.”

“Uhh, but he didn’t…?”

“No. No, he didn’t. Perfect gentleman. Did actually not even really occur to me as an actual problem up until you said it just now. Huh.”

“That’s – good, I guess?” Somewhat surprising but it lends credence to Ezekiel’s claim that he loves Adam. There aren’t many things that detract an Alpha’s reaction to the smell of Omega in heat. Though Dean is pretty sure that the claims made by Alphas who swear that they _couldn’t help themselves_ are bullshit. Cas has plenty of physiological reactions that he doesn’t act on. And Dean’s pretty goddamn sure that that goes for not raping an Omega just because they smell like heat, too. Though he actually has no idea how Cas would react to any Omega in heat other than Dean. It’s not like they are found outside all that often.

“Yeah, well, pity that Bal’s never going to believe it.”  

“Ek,” Ben puts his little hand out and smashes it somewhat uncoordinatedly onto Gabe’s shoulder.

Dean snorts. “I think your nephew is comforting you.”

“Uh, alright, little one,” Gabe catches Ben’s hand in his. “That is very sweet of you but Uncle Gabe can deal with his own problems. You can comfort me when I’m old and grey. Right now, I’m still the one to comfort you.” He boops his nose, which makes Ben giggle, which in turn makes Rob squirm, so Dean turns him around so that he can see the proceedings.

“You want to crawl over to your brother? Do it, little one,” he encourages Rob.

Rob is still shyer about forward movement than Ben, preferring to explore his immediate surroundings in detail rather than relentlessly conquering new space. But with a little nudge and the knowledge that Dean is still there to have his back, he’s getting more adventurous.

“Yay, you made it,” Dean gives him a round of applause when Rob makes it the few steps over to Gabe and starts pulling himself upright on his uncle. He doesn’t quite manage it yet and falls over on his diapered butt. He doesn’t seem to take it personally and instead tries to stick his fingers in Gabriel’s pocket to see if he can find something interesting there. “So, Lucifer has a pup, huh?”

It’s hard to picture somehow. While both Cas and Gabe bitch about Michael enough – and with good cause – they are both tight-lipped where it concerns their other older brother. Dean knows he was their Dad’s favorite once and that he fell out of grace when he started questioning him. He knows that everyone was surprised when the introverted Alpha who rarely showed strong passion suddenly turned harsh. But then, maybe it was not in spite of but because of his lack of real control over the pack that he couldn’t let his teenage son rebel.

“He has genetically well-engineered offspring. Already tested to be guaranteed to become an Alpha.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “Does said offspring have a name?”

“Novak #3. Whether that means they discarded two former versions, I have no idea,” Gabe answers with a fake smile.

“Omega versions, you mean.”

“Yeah. If I had been born a few decades later, they could have sorted me out – probably in utero already. How fun is that?” There is bitter grit under the false cheeriness.

Instead of an answer, Dean takes out his phone. “I’ll put it on the list.”

“The what?” Gabe asks, act dropping away for real confusion.

“The list. I have a google doc of all the laws that need changing. I’ve shared it with Sammy so that every time he thinks about giving up on his degree I can remind him why the fuck he needs to go through with this.”

Gabe rolls his eyes but there’s a smile in his voice when he answers, “Good thinking.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods though his eyebrows also draw together. “Have I mentioned that he took that internship?”

“The one in Cali?”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “With that Tessa chick’s firm.” He sighs. “’s not like I don’t know what a great chance that is for him, but…” He sighs again.

“He does it for you, you know that, right? I mean, not all of it I’m sure – he’s a tree hugger by nature, but taking an internship with California’s most famous Omega rights lawyer? That’s for you.”

“Yeah, I know that I’ve got no right to complain. And I don’t. I’m proud of him, I really am.”

“But you’re gonna miss him?” Gabe asks.

“Him and the little rugrat and Eileen,” Dean admits.

“He’s taking them?” Gabe asks surprised.

“Looks like,” Dean nods. “Cas is, uhh, not completely happy about it.”

“That’s probably the understatement of the year.”

“At least it’s down in LA. They won’t be anywhere near Moore territory.”

“Michael’s still gonna find out, though. He is in the same business after all.”

“I guess we just gotta keep him busy then so that he has better things to do than come after my little brother.” Though of course Dean’s stomach does an uncomfortable flip at the thought of Sam anywhere near that creep. “Though if Sam passes his bars and becomes the famous lawyer he’s destined to be, they’ll meet one way or another. Guess I gotta trust him that he can handle it.”

“I don’t like it. Not with the added stress of having Deanie there, too. Is that really smart anyway, uprooting Deanie like this? He’s gonna miss his siblings and his routines and it’s all only for a few months.”

“You and I assume that it’s only for a few months,” Dean says darkly.

“You think he’s not going to come back?” The shock in Gabe’s voice is evident.

“I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry.”

Dean shakes his head. “He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. I always knew he was meant for something bigger.”

“Oh bullshit,” Gabe scowls. “I may not really get it, that whole thing of being that close with your Alpha-brother but I know what Sam means to you. You’ve had a hard enough time letting him go when it was just college and safe enough. But now? With everything that’s happened?”

“Doesn’t change the facts,” Dean insists. “I can’t hold him back. I don’t want to, either. So I’m gonna worry myself sick when the time comes and up until then I’m going to be practical about this and organize some help with the pups.”

“Oh, that’s right. He’s taking your nanny!”

“Yup,” Dean nods. “And Alex has started her vocational training. Including an actual job at the clinic and no summer break anymore.”

“Don’t say it,” Gabe gasps. “You didn’t.”

“I did,” Dean nods.

“You asked _Claire_?” Gabe’s eyes are wide.

“Hey, she kinda likes us.”

“She likes no one!”

Dean chuckles. “Yeah, well, possibly. But she’s said yes when I asked her.”

“Oh boy,” Gabe lets his head thunk against the trunk of the tree and pets Ben’s head. “You’re in for a wild ride this summer, little man.” He turns back to Dean. “You do know that at least half of her teachers have approached me about talking some sense into her, right?”

“She’s still here. We’re going on six months and she’s still here. Her average was _six weeks_ before she ran from a home. We’re doing something right.”

“Has Jody found any lead about her mom?”

“Nothing solid. To be honest, I think at this point even Claire knows.”

“That her Mom is dead?” It’s not really a question.

“Seems most likely,” Dean nods. “I mean I get it. I’d try to cling to hope, too. But chances are…”

“That she didn’t make it.”

“Or that if she’s still alive, she’s -,” Dean breaks off. “She wasn’t you or me. She hadn’t learned to fend for herself. If someone picked her up and brought her to one of those places – we’re never going to find her.”

Gabe shakes his head in disagreement. “I hadn’t learned to fend for myself, either. I grew up in the manor. They didn’t actually anticipate that the dancing lessons they gave me were of the wrong kind. Just cause she behaved at home doesn’t mean she doesn’t have spunk. I mean – look at her daughter. That’s gotta come from somewhere.”

That makes Dean smile a little. Maybe there is some hope at least. “Alex calls her Biker Barbie.”

Gabe snorts. “The two of them getting along?”

“Better than they did. I think. Claire doesn’t exactly understand Alex’ decision to become a nurse.”

“Ah, a socially appropriate job for an Omega, obviously it has to be despicable.”

“Something like that,” Dean nods. “Though to be fair, Alex has a talent for working with difficult people.”

“You talking about Mary or Claire?” Gabe grins.

“Honestly? Both of them,” Dean chuckles. Just then, he becomes aware of movement. “I guess the Alphas are done with their inspection.”

Immediately, Gabe tenses. “It’s okay, Ben, it’s okay,” he distractedly calms down the pup who squirms and complains when Gabe puts him down on the blanket. “I think I better make my exit.”

“Yeah, I think, it might be a bit late for that.”

Because there is one excited two-year-old running towards them as fast as her short legs can carry her. “Unc’ Gabe!! Unc’ Gabe!!”

“Shit,” Gabe cusses under his breath but he puts on a smile and opens his arms to catch his niece. “Hello, Sunshine.”

Mary unashamedly sticks her nose in Gabe’s neck. “Smell weird.” She observes and puts a hand on Gabe’s forehead like Dean or Cas would do with her when they fear she’s developing a temperature. “You sick,” she declares and turns to Dean. “Tea and blanket.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Dean nods. “He needs to get to his bed, I agree.”

“Come,” Mary gets up out of Gabe’s arms and starts dragging him with her.

“Whoa,” Gabe tries to get loose but she clings on.

“Young Miss!” Cas has come close enough to interfere. “Let go of your Uncle right now.”

“But Daddy! Unc’ sick!” She protests.

“And who helps Uncle Gabriel when he’s sick?” Cas asks her.

She looks at him puzzled.

“Well, who helps Dada when he’s sick?”

“Alpha-Daddy!” she exclaims and runs back to her Dad.

“Yes,” Cas nods and swoops her up to keep her under control. “Because I’m his mate. I care for him. And who’s Uncle Gabriel’s mate?”

“Unc’ Ba.” She says with a pout.

“You’re right.” Cas kisses her nose. “You’re so smart. Now what do you say, do you want to get the basket with vegetables that Grandpa has for us, while Dada and I see to it that Uncle Gabriel gets home safe?”

“Okay,” she says unenthusiastically, the prospect of having a patient to make better obviously more exciting than the prospect of vegetables.

“We’ll follow you in a moment,” Cas nods at Cain, who, as Dean notices only now, has stayed a good 6 feet away from them.

“Take your time,” Cain nods and holds his hand out for Mary to take. “Want to help carrying this?” He gives Mary her own beekeeper’s hat back while he carries the rest of their gear.

Without his daughter in his arm, Cas apparently decides that he’s not quite at ease because he retreats so that Dean is between him and Gabriel.

“I shouldn’t be out here, you don’t have to say it,” Gabe preempts whatever Cas was about to say. “I don’t need the lecture.”

Cas clears his throat. “It’s not my place to lecture you. But I would appreciate it if you let Dean accompany you home. Assuming you plan on going back home?”

Gabe’s face turns slack with surprise. “Geez, I came here to deliver a letter. Not cause my mate left me. Way to always assume the worst, Cassie.”

“I apologize for assuming,” Cas says. “But you have to admit that it’s – unusual, you being out here alone.”

“Well, I’m the weird brother. We’ve firmly established that. So just chalk it up to that.”

“Hey,” Dean interferes before this spirals. He can virtually see how all of Gabe’s defenses are going up while Cas bristles with ineffective protectiveness. “Gabe went for a walk when Bal had a meeting that he had to attend. He went to meet up with me. He was careful and he’s safe. And I guess we talked long enough that going home is safe now, too?”

Gabe shrugs. “I guess so.”

“Well then. Cas, how do you want to do this?”

“You take the car. You can fetch the pups and me from the cabin when Gabe’s safely back home.”

Dean holds an appeasing hand out in Gabe’s direction before he can say anything. “Okay. Keys?”

Cas hands them over.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful.”

Not _drive safely_ or _speed limits have a reason, Dean_. No, it’s _be careful_ today.

“Closed windows. We won’t stop before we reach the house. I’ll deliver him to the door. We’ll be safe, I promise.”

“Okay,” Cas nods though he’s obviously not thrilled.

“Twins are mostly awake. Don’t think you can get them down again until tonight. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes,” Cas nods without hesitation.

“Okay, good. You can feed them if they get grumpy. Come on,” Dean pushes Gabe into motion. The faster they’re out of here, the faster he’ll be back.

Gabe grumbles something under his breath but Dean doesn’t catch it and he doesn’t try.

Once they’re out of earshot, Gabe asks. “How the fuck do you do this without it being awkward? With Sam, I mean?”

Dean shrugs. “Oh, it’s awkward. But nothing will ever be worse than the one time we more or less spent outside in the woods because we couldn’t even risk getting a motel room, seeing how Sam couldn’t sign for it. So yeah, in comparison, this little incident just now doesn’t even count.”

“Hmpf,” Gabe grumbles.

“Yeah, man, you gotta get back. Your scent is getting sharper and your mood is circling down the drain. Give it another half an hour and you’re going to scratch everyone’s eyes out who isn’t your Alpha.”

“Will not,” Gabe says petulantly but he walks a little faster.

“Sure thing, Jan,” Dean snickers.

“Oh, shut up.” He doesn’t even attach a _Dean-o_ to it, so Dean thinks it’s better to actually shut up.

 

They’re quiet during the short drive to the school, Gabe’s tension ratcheting up by the minute. And well, Bal doesn’t know about this little excursion. If he got back before Gabe… Consequently, when they’re there, Dean asks, “Do you want me to walk you to the door?”

“Nah,” Gabe shakes his head. “I can walk five steps on my own.”

“Wasn’t so much the way there I was thinking about.”

Gabe rubs a hand over his face, apprehension clear in every line of his body, but he shakes his head again. “I’ll deal with it. If he’s already back.” He gives Dean a perfunctory smile. “It’s not the first time I’ve done something that he wasn’t particularly fond of, Dean-o. I know the drill.”

That doesn’t really do anything to make Dean worry less but when Gabe says he can handle it, Dean’s got no choice but to accept it. “Well then, best of luck with that. I’ll call you, okay?”

“Call in a few days. After all of this is over and we’re back to normal.”

“Then text me tonight,” Dean insists.

“I’m gonna be okay,” Gabe assures him. “Bal’s not an asshole.”

“I know. Still.”

“Alright,” Gabe gives in. “I’ll text you. Happy now?”

“Happier,” Dean nods. “And now go. Maybe you’re lucky and you’re home first.”

Gabe grimaces. “Not sure I’m going to see an empty apartment as lucky right this second. But yeah.” He knocks against the frame of the car once and makes his way to the door.

Dean waits until Gabe’s disappeared inside before he starts the engine back up. He pats over his pocket where the envelope Gabe gave him is sitting heavily.

 

They don’t talk when Dean makes it back to Cain’s. Or, they talk, but it is all inconsequential stuff and they don’t stay much longer. Mary’s back to being excited but that also means that she keeps up a stream of conversation in the car and back at the house that at the very best only partially makes sense and never seems to stop.

Dean doesn’t usually get exhausted from his daughter’s stream of consciousness but today he has to rein himself in for his tone not to get sharp. Maybe it’s the residual effect of being around an Omega in heat, maybe it’s the information that he’s got and needs to share with Cas but can’t share while the pups are up and clinging to him. In any case, by the time it’s finally evening and the pups are in bed, Dean is done. Completely and utterly done.

“Okay, come on,” Cas says determinedly after they’ve cleared the last dishes off the table after dinner. “We’re retiring early.”

“We are?” Dean asks. “But I still wanted to…”

“Tomorrow,” Cas interrupts. “Whatever it is, you can do it tomorrow. Now, you come with me.”

And yeah, Dean guesses the chores can wait so he takes Cas’ hand and lets him lead them to the bedroom.

“On the bed,” Cas pushes him forward once they’re in the room.

Dean hesitates for a moment. “Cas…”

Cas raises one eyebrow at him and that’s enough for Dean to nod, even though the slight tingle in his groin sends only weak signals through his exhaustion. But he’s not completely against the idea. “Front or back?”

“Front.”

Dean lets himself fall on the bed face-first. He won’t have to do any work in this position which is just fine for him.

He’s just started to wonder why Cas takes so long to come over and start to undress him when Cas comes back from a detour into the bathroom. He puts a bottle on the nightstand. Massage oil. Oh.

“Cas, you don’t have to. You had a long day, too.”

“You may want to lose that shirt,” is all Cas answers before he turns around to slip out of his day clothes and into something more comfortable. Which turns out to be low-riding PJ pants. With the low pants and no shirt, the light from the bedside lamp throws Cas’ hip-bones in stark contrast.

Dean notices that he’s been staring at his mate and licking his lips only when Cas smirks at him. Dean hurries to drag his t-shirt over his head and out of the way.

“Better,” Cas mumbles and presses a kiss between Dean’s shoulder blades. “Scoot.”

Dean pushes himself a little further to the middle of the bed, giving Cas all the access that he wants. The first dribble of massage oil is cold enough to make him shiver, but Cas’ hands are warm as he spreads the oil in steady motions and then gets to work on the knots in Dean’s muscles.

Dean groans with the relief of a pain that had been so steady that it had been background noise, not even consciously noticed. He sinks a little deeper into the pillow as his muscles relax.

“If you want me to get to your lower back, too, you’re gonna have to open your jeans.”

“Mmh.” It takes effort to move enough to get to the buttons of his jeans but carrying pups around all day means that his lower back is pretty much always in need of a massage.

Cas digs his fingers into the grooves right above Dean’s ass, and then into the meaty part of his gluteus maximus. It feels like heaven.

For a while, Cas works quietly while Dean contains himself with small groans whenever Cas finds an area that hurts. They turn into happy little moans whenever a tight muscle lets go. His body feels heavy and relaxed and his eyes don’t want to really open anymore.

“Cas?”

“Hmm?”

“If you want this to lead to other activities, you need to get a move on. This is way too comfy. Imma gonna fall asleep.”

Cas chuckles softly. “Then fall asleep, Dean. You’ve earned it.”

“Gotta brush my teeth and all that happy shit,” Dean mumbles without moving.

“I think your teeth will forgive you if you skip it just this once. Come on, a little help.”

Cas pulls on Dean’s jeans and Dean lifts his hips so that Cas can get them off of him. But of course, there’s the telltale rustle of paper in his jeans pocket. It wakes Dean up faster than any espresso. “Ah shit.” There goes the relaxation from the massage. He turns around and sits up. “Are your hands still oily? Cause there’s an envelope in my pocket that you might want to take a look at. I mean, I guess it can wait until tomorrow, but…” He shrugs. “It’s the thing Gabe gave me. He got it from Ezekiel. Who told him not to show us.”

The implications of that sink in quick enough. Cas looks suddenly much more awake as well. He turns on his heel and marches to the bathroom to wash his hands. Dean gets the crumpled paper out of his pocket and smooths it out in the time until Cas is back. He hands it to him without further comment.

Cas sits down on the edge of the bed, reading with his brow furrowed. The steep line on his forehead gets ever steeper.

“Why give it to Gabriel?” Cas asks when he’s read the document.

“Because he wants a pup,” Dean shrugs.

“But he wouldn’t – well, actually, he would have a chance to claim the child. If Lucifer is not claiming it and neither is Michael, then there’s no Alpha of the same bloodline who’d have first claim.”

“Not true, actually. There’s you,” Dean points out.

“Yeah, but we’re assuming I don’t know about this, right?”

“Cas, I’m not sure we’re assuming anything right now. Other than that this is directly from Michael.”

Cas reads the paper over again. Then he shakes his head. “He must know by now.”

“Must know what, Cas? That he can’t make me flip? I believe he knows. But Gabe? Ezekiel only needs to tell Michael the truth for him to know that Gabe’s less than happy. And – somewhat estranged from us.”

Cas’ scent turns murkier by the second so Dean sidles up close.

“It’s not your fault, little Alpha. You’re doing everything right. And I’m not putting it past Ezekiel to have Gabe isolated from us on purpose.”

Cas nods, though his scent doesn’t turn any happier.

“And Gabe came to us. He went and braved the scary outside during a heat. Well, late stages of a heat. But still. He came to us the minute he could.”

“Did he say what he wanted to do?” Cas asks.

“He just told me to give you the documents.”

“What do _you_ want me to do?” There is a slight pinch of panic to Cas’ question like this is the thing that’s too much. That he can’t decide. Like he desperately needs someone else to take over. And that is not a good sign. In fact, that is a glaring stop sign.

Dean pries the piece of paper out of Cas’ hands. “What I want you to do? I want you to come to bed. I want you to cuddle up to me and kiss me good night and then I want you to sleep, so that we can think about this when we’re rested in the morning. As I said, this is nothing that needs to be decided tonight.”

“But, Dean, that’s from a –“

“A breeding facility. I know.” Dean nods.

“I –“

Cas stares at the paper where it’s still in Dean’s hand, so Dean lets it disappear under the books on his nightstand. “Cas. Bed.”

Cas still has the haunted look but he lets Dean move him under the covers. Dean clambers back up to change into PJs and turn off the lights. Cas is on his back, staring into nothing when Dean comes back, so Dean snuggles up close the minute he’s back in bed. Of course, with Cas rigid like a plank it’s not working very well.

“Come on, move.”

He maneuvers Cas to be the little spoon and holds him tightly against his chest. Cas doesn’t protest but his whole body is wound tight in the way it gets when the world is a shithole and Cas feels helpless to make it better.

Dean makes it a point to make his own breathing slow down and use what relaxation the massage has provided to mold himself to Cas. He wills his thoughts to stay in the present and in this room and only with them, wills his scent to be calm and loving and nothing else. The pups actually are good training for that.

“In here, it’s just us,” Dean murmurs. “We’ll keep the outside world outside. Right now, all that matters is right here. I’m safe. The pups are safe. You are safe. Everything else can wait.”

He presses a series of small kisses into Cas’ neck. “We’re both exhausted. So sleep,” he whispers. “You are allowed to sleep, Cas. To get energy for saving the world. We’ll talk tomorrow. Okay?”

“Okay,” Cas whispers back. “I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you, too, little Alpha.”

There’s a sigh that’s a bit too close to relief for Dean’s liking. But Cas cuddles up to maximize the warmth of Dean’s body against his, and Dean thinks that they’re mostly okay.

 

He takes the assessment back in the morning. Cas is up before their morning alarm and that isn’t set for late. In fact, Cas is up before the pups and when he comes out of the bathroom where he had obviously tried to be quiet about his morning routine, he has dark bags under his eyes.

“I didn’t want to wake you up,” he murmurs.

“Yeah, that whole stealing out of the room in the middle of night shtick really only works for one-night-stands, not with your husband.”

“I wasn’t trying to…” But Cas sighs and rubs a hand through his hair. “Okay, maybe I was. I wanted to see whether Charlie was awake already.”

“You want to try to verify the info without alerting anyone that you’re doing it?” Dean sees no reason not to come straight to the point. Seeing how he didn’t sleep much better than Cas did and everything.

“Yes,” Cas nods.

“Do you expect it to be a lie?”

“No,” Cas shakes his head but the haunted look in his eyes is back.

“And that makes it worse?” Dean asks cautiously.

“I – I’m not sure.” Cas sits heavily back down on the bed.

Dean bites his lip. “Because of the facility or because of Michael or because of Luke?”

“I – I don’t know,” Cas says helplessly. He drops his head on Dean’s shoulder when Dean draws him close.

 “Well, the network’s got eyes on Luke, don’t they?”

Cas shrugs. “He left the country years ago. Every so often a flag will pop up somewhere but if I had to guess I’d say he’s spending his life sipping cocktails somewhere in the Caribbean. I have no idea what this – what this child means.”

“Hey, it’s not the pup’s fault,” Dean says softly. “He didn’t get to choose how and where he was born.”

Cas nods, quite probably well aware that Dean’s talking as much about him as about his brother’s offspring.

“We can’t leave him there, can we?” Dean asks.

“No,” Cas shakes his head and suddenly there are tears in his eyes. “Those places, they are horrible.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. Unlike Cas, he only knows them from documentaries on the TV and has never set foot into one but it’s enough to know. “What about his Omega parent?”

“I’m not sure – the deal is only for the pup. I’m not sure I could get them out.”

“You could try,” Dean shrugs. “Then he’d have one parent even if Luke’s pulled a disappearing act.”

“I’ve tried this before!” Cas exclaims with quiet desperation. “And even if it could be done – they never wanted this child. In a best case scenario it was an unwanted fertilization, in the worst case…”

“It was rape. Yeah, Cas. I’m aware of how this works,” Dean says calmly and represses the way his stomach wants to turn over.

“How can you be so calm about this?” It’s a cry more than anything.

“I’m not,” Dean shakes his head. And he really isn’t. “But this is rattling you. I’m here for you when you’re rattled. That’s our deal, remember? You are allowed to fall apart.”

Cas nods, though he doesn’t answer. He stubbornly wipes away the wetness where his eyes want to overflow.

“Cas? Can I ask you something?” Dean asks finally. “Do you remember it?” It’s a question he hasn’t dared to ask before.

“What?”

“Not from when you were grown-up and looking for your parent – but from when you, uhh, lived there?”

Cas looks at him with an open mouth that no words come out of. Dean has no idea how to make this better, how to make the pain go away, so he clasps Cas’ hand in both of his. But he still forges on. Nothing gets to Cas as much as a mention of the breeding facilities.  And Dean can’t help him if he doesn’t know what happened.  

“You always frame it from the perspective of the grown Alpha. The one who might purchase the services offered. You always frame it like you’re the aggressor, never like you’re…” _One of the victims._ Dean doesn’t want to say the word out loud but it hangs in the air between them anyway. “You got born there, Cas, and you sure as hell didn’t choose that.”

“I remember it,” Cas whispers. “It’s quite usual to keep pups in there until they’re three. To avoid… failure of product.”

The growl comes unbidden but Dean lets it escape. His mate is not _product_. “Assholes.”

It wrings a tiny smile from Cas, and it makes him pliant enough to lean against Dean’s side. “Yes. We’re in full agreement about that.”

The tiny smile is enough for Dean to be able to rein in his temper. “What do you remember?” he asks in a softer tone.

Immediately, an undertone of saltwater enters Cas’ scent but it stays deeply hidden in the layers, like he has no intention of letting the memories come too close. Which, judging by his reaction to the question of whether they should get Luke’s pup out of there, is a futile effort. The memories already got him. “Cold. I remember cold. Not the kind of cold that is physical but the kind that comes with being alone.”

Dean wraps his arms tighter around Cas to counter the memory but otherwise only nods at him to continue.

“Care was – perfunctory. A rotation of Beta staff who made sure all physical needs were met. But who didn’t express any emotional warmth. They probably weren’t allowed even if they wanted to. Bonding was discouraged.”

“Because you’d never see these people again after you left.”

“Yes,” Cas nodded. “All bonding was supposed to be done with your actual family. When they’d finally come get you.”

“And your Dad, he never even visited?” Dean can’t quite manage to keep the anger out of his voice.

“They sent him regular updates on his pups. He filed them. I don’t remember any visits.” Cas looks up at Dean with a twitchy smile. “And you know, I’m the one who’s good being on their own. I have always craved the company of books more than that of people. But I have no idea how someone like Gabriel made it through that…”

Dean has a lot to say to this, first and foremost that the Cas he knows enjoys and seeks out the company of his mate and his children and his extended family, and that that whole thing where Cas sees himself as a loner is mostly learned behavior – probably learned exactly through the emotionally cold childhood he’s had. But he doubts that any of this would make a difference right now. So instead, he rests his chin on Cas’ shoulder. “I’m glad that you both made it.”

“Yeah,” Cas says. “Me too.” He smoothens the crinkled paper. “There isn’t even a name on this.”

“Huh?”

“Lucifer didn’t tell them a name. The pup is three years old and no one has given him a name.”

“He really doesn’t have a name?”

Cas points in the upper corner of the document. “He has a number. That’s all he has.”

And that – is just plain wrong. “We gotta get him out of there.”

“Yeah,” Cas agrees. “The question is, what do we do with him then? We already have three pups. And Deanie. And I don’t want…”

“I get it,” Dean nods. “And as we’ve said, his Omega parent probably isn’t an option.”

“That leaves – my brother.”

The proposal drops them into silence.

“I mean we’d have to make sure of a few things obviously,” Dean finally starts back up. “Like, that they actually want to take in Luke’s kid. And that, you know, it would stay theirs.”

That is the part that has cemented itself as Dean’s greatest fear when he was thinking about this option at night. That Michael and Luke are working together on this. That they’re using the child as a pawn to get to them. That the minute they’ve incorporated Luke’s offspring into their community and into their homes, they’ll be barraged with demands.

“I don’t think Gabe could take it. To have a pup and then lose it.” Dean wants to think that Gabe gave him the documents because he trusts them and would always be loyal. But he’d be a fool not to take into account that Gabe probably came to the same conclusion. That it makes sense for all of this to be an elaborate trap.

“I hate them so much.”

The sentiment breaks out of Cas and Dean’s own feelings definitely echo it. “Yeah, your Alpha brothers are a piece of work.”

Just then, the baby monitor starts quaking.

“I’ll go,” Dean sighs. “You see to it that Charlie gets this?” He taps the paper.

“Yes,” Cas nods, some determination entering his voice. “We need to find out everything we can about this before we make any further decisions.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dean nods.

Cas jumps up from the bed and is halfway out of the door already by the time Dean gets up. He turns back, though. “Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t text Gabriel about this. Until we know what we want to do it’s best to keep it out of electronic communications altogether.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “You think Michael hacked our phones?”

“Well, Ezekiel. I gather he had plenty of access to Gabriel’s phone. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. That possibility hadn’t even come up for him. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Cas gives him a fleeting smile and then hurries down the hallway. Dean shakes his head because, oh man, all of this is a bit too much before coffee. But he takes a deep breath and takes off towards the nursery.

 

Charlie works fast. No one has ever doubted that but it is how Dean finds himself listening to the most awkward telephone call in the history of ever just a day later. Because good riddance to giving Bal and Gabe a few days to work through the tail-end of Gabe’s heat.

“No, Balthazar, Sam and Eileen will not be in presence. It will just be Dean and I and Ellen and Charlie,” Cas says exasperatedly. He listens for a bit, and then explodes, “Oh, for God’s sake, he’s my brother. He could be in full heat, it wouldn’t arouse me.”

Dean isn’t quite sure whether he wants to laugh or cry but then he remembers that Hannah is in the room and when he sees her wide eyes and shocked face, he can’t help it, laughter it is. He hides it behind his hands at the murderous look Cas sends him but, gosh, this is funny.

Apparently, Cas’ flare of temper shows some effect, though, because the next time Cas talks it’s calmer. “Yes, I’d really appreciate it. … Yes. We’ll make sure the pups are nowhere near. Eileen and Sam will be on pup duty tonight, so no Alphas but me and you. … Seven it is.” He hangs up and sighs a deep breath. “Hannah? Can you please see to it that we have food for six available at seven? We’ll eat in the dining room.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “Are we going formal?”

“No,” Cas shakes his head. “We’re trying to not get in everyone else’s way. Seven is kind of early.”

And yeah, more days than not the pups aren’t through with their evening routine at seven. Which means the grown-ups haven’t gotten their food yet, either.

Which is of course what happens this evening as well. In fact, Dean is not even there to say Hello when their guests arrive because there’s a minor food crisis due to a major miss drama queen who _only_ wants to eat the honey from their bees and most definitely not any of the stupid spinach that she’s supposed to eat. And Sam might be a good lawyer but his arguments go right over Mary’s head and by the time Dean intervenes it’s because he’s heard the four pups screaming from the other room.

It takes a good fifteen minutes to calm everyone down and Dean’s semi-nice shirt has a few green splotches that it didn’t have before. He debates it with himself for all of thirty seconds and then decides, fuck it, there is no way Gabe and Bal haven’t heard the commotion, so they will totally understand. He washes the stains out as good as he can with a little dish soap at the sink and uses the opportunity to wash his face and hands, too. He’s pretty sure that no spinach actually made it into his hair.

Still, he feels a slight bit of trepidation when he makes his way to the dining room. It’s not just the topic that they’re here for, it’s also that Gabe and Bal are here at all. The last time they’ve had a dinner just with them is – it’s been a while. They see them often enough at the school, obviously, so it’s not like they’ve fallen out of touch, but still, this feels different.

And oh yeah, Dean was right. All eyes are on him when he comes in and the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Bal. Gabe. Ellen. And Charlie,” he greets all of them before sinking onto his chair and turning to Cas. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Are the pups okay?” Cas asks worriedly.

“Yeah,” Dean nods, “There was a spinach incident is all.” It doesn’t even get him a chuckle or a follow-up question from anyone. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes again. And seeing how everyone is sitting in front of their plates, appetizers already on the table but untouched, “you could have started without me.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Cas says quickly. “But we, umm, should start now.” He takes the first piece, which prompts Bal to take one, too.

Charlie looks at Dean for pointers, who shrugs and grabs whatever is closest to him. It turns out to be a quiche kind of thing that isn’t half-bad.

Dean isn’t sure whether Hannah’s done it on purpose but pretty much everything on the table has either molten cheese on top or has fried onions or is otherwise of the food variety that smells like food. Whatever residual heat smell there might be coming off of Gabriel, it doesn’t make its way to Dean.

The entrée is no different and judging by the fact that Bal makes a comment about the quality of the food and Cas starts a bit of a food snob discussion with him, which of course Gabe has a few sarcastic remarks for, the mood is lightening and everyone is slowly relaxing.

But then the food is gone and Cas pushes his plate away. “I guess we should talk about why I asked you to come here today.”

Immediately, the tension is back.

Cas grimaces but he pushes on. “Balthazar, I assume Gabriel has told you about the documents Ezekiel gave him?”

“He has,” Bal growls. “Only after he gave it to you, though.”

“There was no time beforehand! We were not exactly thinking with our upstairs brains,” Gabe defends.

“It’s not of import,” Cas breaks into the discussion before it can spiral. “What is important is that I asked Charlie to verify the documents. Charlie, can you give us the rundown of what you found? Is the information real?”

“Wait,” Gabriel interjects. “Are you saying you don’t know yet?”

Cas shrugs. “I thought it would be prudent if we all found out together.”

The statement makes both Bal and Gabe frown at Cas confusedly. Only Ellen looks stoic like she hasn’t expected anything else. And Dean guesses she hasn’t. She makes it a point to not expect anything specific anymore.

“We can brainstorm it together. If it’s true. That’s why I asked you here, after all,” Cas shrugs.

And that is good, very good. At least in Dean’s opinion. Gabe and Bal are still frowning.

“Charlie?” Cas asks, purposely ignoring the frowns directed at him. “Would you bring us up to speed, please?”

“Uhh, yeah, sure thing, Alpha,” Charlie nods, though her smile isn’t as easy as she tries to make it seem. “In short words, the whole thing is legit. That pup exists and should have been claimed three months ago. They’re going to want late fees from whoever is claiming the child. They’ve tried coming after Lucifer for not paying the final installment and collecting his child, but they haven’t found him. Now their lawyers aren’t as good as the eyes of the network, but even the network has lost track.” She shrugs.

“Michael hasn’t had any contact with him, either?” Cas asks.

“Not that I can find out. Doesn’t mean it’s true, obviously. But if they’re in contact, they cover their tracks well.”

“So Michael found out about this when they were trying to track Lucifer down?”

“Must have,” Charlie shrugs. “Far as I can tell they employ a private eye for searches like this. They keep it mostly discreet because you know…” Because many Alphas who turn to breeding facilities don’t do so as their first choice. And quite often they don’t want the public or even their families to find out. “But yeah, unless Michael knew about this from the beginning, that’s probably how he found out.”

“Is he on any of their internal documents? Michael, I mean?”

“No,” Charlie shakes her head. “Not that I’ve found.”

“Strange,” Cas frowns. “It’s usual to have a second contact in the contracts.”

“It’s just Lucifer’s name on everything.”

“So he kept it secret from Michael?” Cas muses.

“Or they’re actually not in contact,” Ellen interjects. “That _is_ a possibility, Cas.”

Cas looks doubtful but he doesn’t contradict the statement. Instead, he turns back to Charlie. “Did you find any other pertinent information?”

“On Lucifer? No. On the kid? Well, I can tell you that their policy is to wait for six months to see if a family member takes the child off their hands. After that they, uhh, I guess you could say they auction the child off. They word it differently, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Cas echoes and he isn’t the only one who suddenly looks a little green around the nose.

“So, the pup’s pretty safe for another few months but after that, there’s no telling. The contract is void in that case and the child is legally a property of the facility and then of whoever buys it. Original parental rights don’t apply anymore. If you have questions on that, please ask Ellen or Sam. It’s all completely boring lawyer shit.”

“Ahem.” Ellen shoots her an unimpressed look.

Charlie grins at her completely unapologetically.

Cas shakes his head but comes back to the point at hand. “What about if a family member pays the last installment? Who has the rights to the child then?”

“Again, I’m your resident computer genius, for the legal shit please ask the lawyers, they’re much better at it.” Charlie gestures towards Ellen.

Ellen shrugs. “I’d have to go through the details of the contracts to give you every eventuality. But I can virtually guarantee that they’ll hand out the child to you. They don’t like fuss and they like getting paid.”

Cas ponders that for a moment. “They’ll hand out the child to me. I bring the child here. What then? Will we have guardianship of the child until Lucifer comes back? Or can we get full parental rights? If he asked for his son back, is there a way to make sure he doesn’t get him?”

Ellen looks at Cas long and hard. “You know that there is. And you know that I’ll advise you against it.”

Cas’ mouth is tight when he answers. “Because he can’t come on my lands. Because he’s exiled.”

Ellen nods. “He can’t argue kidnapping in court, since you’ve legally paid for the child. But he can sue for custody. Providing he can pay you back with interest. And it’s a case Michael’s firm would enjoy taking, I’m sure. Also, we’re already on the radar of the POA. We’ve been lucky that they’ve kept their involvement in our affairs to a minimum so far. That can change.”

“Yeah, how’s that going anyway?” Balthazar asks.

“As Ellen says, it’s going as well as can be expected,” Cas sighs. “It’s been a lot of bureaucracy and a lot of paperwork. But we haven’t hit them with the real thing yet.”

Bal’s eyebrows draw together. “Pack membership.”

Cas nods. “So far Cain’s living on the fringes. Apparently, that happens just often enough that they didn’t think it necessary to send down an agent to check on us.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to change that?” Balthazar asks.

Cas watches him for a moment before he says, “My offer to you still stands.”

That provokes a moment of uncomfortable silence. They haven’t talked about it in a long while, Cas’ offer of pack membership for Bal.

Finally, when the silence stretches on for too long, Charlie clears her throat. “Uhh, yeah, not sure whether you’re interested but I managed to cross-reference the clinic’s files with a municipal data-base.” She smiles a little nervously.

Since the Alphas just stare at each other, Dean takes over before the moment can turn awkward again. “You gotta spell that one out for me. What’s that mean?”

Charlie gives Dean a relieved smile, happy that there’s a recipient for her distraction. “I found the Omega-parent’s name. It’s Kelly Kline.”

“Kelly Kline,” Cas repeats slowly.

“Yeah,” Charlie nods. “She’s not been in the facility all that long. Though I can’t tell whether she’s been, uhh, chosen for your brother specifically.”

“So she’s young?” Cas asks.

“She’s off age if that helps,” Charlie shrugs.

“I was hoping that would be a matter of course,” Cas grimaces. Then his face sets into a dark scowl. “I was asking because the older she is, the more likely it is that management would let me pay off her contract.”

“Cas…” Ellen interjects immediately.

“I know,” Cas holds up a hand to stop her. “We can’t save everyone. Dean tells me the same. And I’m well aware that we garner unwanted attention whenever we try to make the world better.” His face turns stubborn. “But it’s still the right thing to do. If we make a difference for one person, we make a difference in the world.” He looks at Gabe. “I tried for our Omega parent, too. I tried every route I could think of. But I couldn’t even find out their name.” His mouth sets into an unhappy frown and Dean puts a soothing hand on Cas’ knee.

Gabe quietly says. “You’re good people, Cassie.”

Dean doesn’t even have to look at Cas to know what he’s thinking. _Not good enough._ He squeezes his mate’s knee. Cas will always be good enough for him. It’s not Cas’ fault that the world is a shithole.  

“So, why did Ezekiel give this to my mate?” Balthazar brings them back on topic.

“Because Zeke knows we want pups and can’t have them,” Gabe answers, hurt over the betrayal pouring from his voice and scent.

“I’m aware,” Bal growls. “I’m aware that you shared our secrets with him. Still, Michael does not have children, either. Why not take his brother’s pup for his own?”

Cas shakes his head. “I don’t know. I have never understood my brothers very well.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to raise Luke’s kid?” Dean throws in. “If they really had a falling out?”

“More like, he doesn’t care whether his mate might be happier with a pup in the house. Long as he can fight it out with Cassie,” Gabe says bitterly.

_If I had a pup, I would protect them._

“Maybe Adam doesn’t want to raise a pup with Michael,” Dean gives consideration to that thought.

“I doubt that Adam has any influence over the proceedings,” Cas answers doubtfully.

Dean shrugs. That might be true or it might not be. There are a lot of ways to influence things even if you never get to make a decision. And Adam’s letter didn’t sound like that of a person who has given up. “We didn’t get a letter from Adam. But we might be getting a message anyway. Just saying.”

That brings the room up short.

“Did, umm, Ezekiel say anything? About where he got this information?” Cas finally asks.

“Nah,” Gabe shakes his head. “I wouldn’t trust him anyway, whatever he said.”

“I can tell you that he must have gotten the info when he was visiting,” Charlie pipes up. “I’m monitoring all of his communication. Unless he found a way to transmit smoke signals, I know everything.”

Cas closes his eyes for a moment and rubs his hand over his face. “This is what it has come to.”

“Chill, Alpha. His communication is like the most boring thing on the planet. His only redeeming feature is that he’s really into science, so at least his nerdy convos with the other teachers are factually correct. In any case, there’s absolutely nothing in there that would make even Hannah blush.” She shrugs. “Of course he also knows we’re monitoring his activity.”

“So we can assume he got the info at the other Novak household,” Ellen tries to steer them back on track. “Which leaves us exactly where we were before. Not knowing who we got the info from or whether it is a trap.”

“I can’t leave the pup in there,” Cas says determinedly. “I won’t. I don’t care that he’s Lucifer’s offspring, I won’t leave him to be _sold_.” The last word comes out as a sneer.

Ellen sighs but her resigned expression tells Dean everything he needs to know. She’ll back this, even if it goes against her instincts as a lawyer to take a risk this big.

“Gabe? I think this is your cue.” Dean nods in Gabe’s direction.

“What? Me?” Gabe looks at him confused.

“We have our hands full with the rugrats we have. And with Sam and Eileen disappearing to Cali, we’re not taking in any extra kids any time soon. So that leaves you and Bal.”

“I -,” Gabe looks at Balthazar and then closes his mouth.

Bal gives him a shrewd smile. “You can’t tell me, you don’t have an opinion, darling. You have an opinion about _everything_.”

“But we haven’t – we haven’t talked about it.” Gabe looks at Bal cautiously, like he has no idea what reaction to expect. Like he’s getting ready to retreat if necessary.

Bal’s voice softens when he sees his mate’s posture. “We’re talking now. And I don’t know your asshole brother. So I won’t notice it if the pup holds his head the same way or whatever.” He shrugs.

“Luke’s not – I mean, he _is_ an asshole. But he’s also the one who took me out so I could learn to skate. Even when Michael forbade it under threat of punishment for both me and Lucifer.” He clears his throat. “I guess what I want to say is that with the right nurture, pup’s not necessarily going to turn out evil.”

“So that’s a yes from you? You would take in the pup?” Cas asks.

“I –“, Gabriel looks up at his mate, obviously not comfortable with making this decision.  

“Can we think about it? Just for a day or two? This is kind of sudden,” Balthazar reacts immediately. “It needs discussion.”

“Of course,” Cas nods. “But if we – assuming you would want to take in Lucifer’s child, I would like us to do this together. As a family.”

“How do you mean?” Balthazar asks.

“Well, I’d like for you and me to go down there together and negotiate this. It would be good if you came, too, Ellen, to make sure that the contracts we make are airtight. I understand that if we do this, we will definitely not even pretend to play Michael’s game, but I feel like attempting that wouldn’t serve anyone’s interests but Michael’s. There are lives at stake here after all and I don’t like to gamble with that.”

That gets agreement from all around the table and even Balthazar nods his approval. “Alright. If we do this, we do it together.”  

 

Waiting has never been Dean’s strong point. Taking action, moving forward, that is something tangible. Waiting is just lost time. So when Cas comes back from the office two days later to tell Dean that Balthazar has additional questions and will come over to talk them through with Cas, it doesn’t elevate Dean’s mood, even though he gets it. If he was in Gabe’s shoes… Dean shakes his head. He doesn’t know whether he would take the risk. There are just so many things that can go wrong about this.

They’ve talked it through again, too, Cas and him. Have tried to think out of the box, have weighed different options, but there really isn’t a way to play this safe. Whatever they do, it can still all go wrong. It can be a trap that closes around them. But Cas’ face turns into stone every time a mention of not bringing the pup home comes up. And it would be pretty hypocritical of Dean not to back Cas up when something is this important to him after all the risks he’s taken for Dean over the years. So, taking a risk, it is.

They sift through every scrap of information that Charlie can find, no detail too small, nothing disregarded. Any piece of information can be the one that saves their asses in the end, after all.

They start hammering out a plan how to approach this, too. They keep it as simple as possible, minimizing the potential for human error. They decide that Ellen should be the one to actually contact the facility and set up a meeting, keeping things formal and avoiding the impression that this is personal beyond shared DNA. Then of course, the way they play this when they’re actually at the facility, that’s something that needs to be discussed with Balthazar.

So yeah, Dean gets it, that deeper discussions are needed. What he gets less is why Gabe is out in the garden with him, watching the pups, while Cas and Bal are discussing the future of his family.

“You want to be in there, go in there,” Dean tells Gabe for the third time when Gabe won’t stop pacing but won’t do anything about it, either.

“I don’t want to,” Gabe growls. The frustration pours off of him in droves. Enough to make even the twins look up from where they were crawling around the garden.

“Then sit down and stop driving us insane,” Dean hisses. He takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. Screaming pups will not help anyone’s state of mind.  

“Sit down,” Mary echoes him and runs up to Gabe to drag him over to where the rest of them is sitting in the grass, while Dean is suddenly and violently thankful for the fact that he remembered not to say _sit your ass down_.

Gabe lets himself plop down with a sigh. Mary claps him on the shoulder like she’s congratulating him for a task well done.

“They’re gonna go down there without me anyway, no matter what they decide today,” he snarls.

“Deep breaths, Gabe. Pups and all,” Dean reminds him.

Gabe huffs but he does make an effort to relax. Which is promptly rewarded with Mary pressing a flower into his hand. It’s a sweet gesture, even though Mary in the flower bed is a bit like a Kaiju in Tokyo.

“Thanks, Sunshine,” Gabe’s smile doesn’t even seem to be all fake. He turns the flower Mary gave him in his hands.  

Dean watches it for a moment too long and barely manages to snatch a dandelion out of Deanie’s hand before he can start chewing on it. _Icky_ , he signs. Deanie copies it with an expressive face and obvious enthusiasm but without any indication that he gets the connection to the plant.

“Yeah, that’s really really icky,” Dean signs again and puts the wooden toy train into Deanie’s hand so that he has something else to do than dig through their lawn. He looks back up at Gabe and decides to give him the only answer he has. “Make them take you.”

“Pff,” Gabe shakes his head. “Not a chance. Bal won’t run the risk of having me anywhere near a place like that. Not that I’d be any use to a breeding facility. But the assholes don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure that they don’t actually kidnap Omegas of the street anymore these days. Not that what they do is that much better.” Oh, Dean’s sure that anyone in there has a government approved contract. Has an inspector look in on them once a year. Has a checklist of health inspections crossed off, too. And he’s also sure that it doesn’t make a lick of difference. That the Omegas are still not in there because they freely chose to help populate the world. And that they’re still traumatized when they’re finally discarded because they’re too old and the risk that the pups that they carry aren’t up to par gets too high. Because that’s gonna be the risk the Alphas running the place are worried about: their product quality and their payment. The Omegas involved are barely more than a commodity.

“Yeah, well, your brother’s going to change it all eventually. That’s why he’s going to Cali, right?” Gabe says sarcastically.

“Well,” Dean shrugs. “Don’t diss him yet. He is a Winchester. He gets stubborn when he sets his mind to something. Though of course he’d have to take his attention away from bitching at us for this first.”

Gabe raises his eyebrows.

“He bitches when he’s worried. And since he’s ditching us for Cali he knows he’s not going to be around for the fallout from this.”

“He’s still just going for the summer, though, right?”

Dean shrugs. He’s not actually talked to his brother about this again. Don’t ask when you don’t want to know the answer to your question. “Yeah, well, even if it’s just the summer, the Winchester-Leahys are out for the count for now.”

“Oh, we’re hyphenating them already?”

Dean snorts. “I bet you dollars to donuts that that’s exactly what they’re going to do. Eventually. It’s just gonna take them longer than it took me.”

“Longer than it took you to hyphenate them or than it took you to marry?”

“Both, I guess,” Dean concedes the point. “We didn’t exactly have the longest engagement.”

It’s Gabe’s turn to snort. “You went on your first coffee date _after_ you got married.”

“Well, we got the coffee date experience, and that’s what counts.”

They look at each other and break out laughing. Immediately, all four pups break into smiles, too.

“You all are too cute.” Dean boops Rob’s nose, who starts giggling. “But seriously, Gabe, did you make a decision before you came here? Because if they’re discussing your future and what’s potentially your pup, you should have a say in it.”

Gabe sighs. “It’s complicated.”

“Try me.”

“Dean-o,” Gabe runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “We’re not like you and Cassie.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “So he gets to make the decision?”

“No,” Gabe shakes his head. “Of course not. He’d never,” Gabe breaks off and starts anew. “It’s just, he’s wanted a pup for so long. He would have gone through with the whole surrogate thing, too, if they’d accepted us. But they didn’t and they won’t. And I’m – I was good with what we had. The kids in the dorms are great. Being there for them, it makes me happy.”

“Happy enough to replace having a pup of your own?”

“He’s my brother’s pup,” Gabe corrects. “And, well, I’m evidence enough that breeding the perfect pup doesn’t necessarily work out, but – I don’t know. He’s my brother’s pup.”

“He doesn’t know that, though,” Dean points out.

“Which means I would have to be the one who eventually has to tell him. Either cause Luke wants him back or because he’s old enough that he has to know. _Hey kiddo, your Dad tried to kill your Uncle Cas and he exiled him for it._ ”

“Joy,” Dean grimaces. “Okay, I get your point. What’s Bal’s opinion?”

“That it’s a chance. That it’ll help us. Strengthen us. That it’ll mend the rift between us.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah. I mean, I guess it’s true that what’s broken between us is because – because I’m broken. But that’s – it’s our responsibility. We can’t put that on the kid’s head.”

“Have you told him that?” Dean asks.

“Not in so many words,” Gabe admits.

“You should. And preferably before you’ve got a three-year-old sitting in your living room.”

“If it comes to that.”

“Ellen seemed pretty sure.”

“And Cas seemed pretty intent on getting the Omega mom out of there, too.”

“Who hasn’t seen this kid in three years. Who has probably born three other pups since. And who never wanted any of them in the first place.”

“She’s still his mom.”

“Yeah,” Dean agrees. “I’m just saying we shouldn’t count on her gratefully settling into the life of a single mom. I mean, I wouldn’t.”

“Would you give up your kid, though?”

Dean looks at his pups. Predictably, Deanie has left the toy train behind to dig through the flower bed with Mary while the twins are focused on themselves, Ben on the bunny and Rob intently trying to catch and eat his foot. He wouldn’t give any of them up for the world. But, “I don’t know, man. All of these critters are products of love. I have no idea how I’d feel if any of them was –“, the product of rape. The product of an Alpha deciding that Dean’s only worth was in his womb. And that’s the worst part, probably. “I think if I’d been in one of those places long enough, if all I’d gotten to be for years was a means to produce offspring, I think I’d probably need to become a person again before I could be a parent.”

Gabe shudders but he nods. “That makes a depressing shit-ton of sense, Dean-o.”

“Shit-ton,” Mary says brightly.

“Of course. That’s the word you like.” Dean has the urge to facepalm.

“Shit-ton,” Mary repeats smugly.

“Yeah, Alpha-Daddy is going to be super-happy about this one.” Dean shakes his head. “You’re like a sponge, aren’t you? Soaking up all the words you’re not supposed to know.” He tickles Mary’s sides and she squeals in delight and throws her arms around his neck and then Deanie crawls in to help Mary take down Dean and suddenly they’re all rolling around the grass and having a tickle fight.

“Okay, okay,” Dean gives in, laughing and out of breath, when two pups have managed to climb onto his chest. “You guys are heavy, let me breathe.”

“Noooo,” Mary squeals but she slides off of him to hug her arms around his neck again, and Deanie follows suit by hugging his waist.

“Yeah, you rascals, I love you, too,” he hugs them back and sits back up with both of them still in his arms. It’s only then that he notices Gabriel’s expression. He doesn’t even need to smell the salt and seawater, seeing how Gabe’s eyes are swimming with tears. “Do you need a break?”

Gabe shakes his head, lips pressed tightly together, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the fact that the tears are spilling over onto his cheeks.

That’s when Mary suddenly struggles to free herself from Dean’s grasp. He lets her go. She determinately makes her way over to Gabe to throw her arms around him, Deanie tottering behind her, pausing just long enough to get his toy train, which he promptly presses into Gabe’s hand.

Dean expects the strangled sob when Gabe hugs both pups to his chest. Mary pats his hair, a gesture she has seen often enough when Dean or Cas are trying to calm any of the pups down. Deanie’s not quite as coordinated yet but he lets himself be hugged without complaint and keeps pushing the train further into Gabe’s hand. Like the little toy train can distract him and soothe away the pain.

Dean’s heart almost hurts, it bursts with so much love for these pups. “I’m going to miss you, buddy,” he mumbles and strokes a hand over Deanie’s head. He doesn’t sign it, though, and he doesn’t say it loud enough that Mary would react, either. Instead, he takes a deep breath and says loudly, “You two are the sweetest and it is very lovely of you to want to comfort Uncle Gabe. But I think we should ask him whether he wants to be hugged this long and this firmly, huh?”

“Oh, shut up, Dean-o. I want to be hugged.” It comes out slightly broken.

“Your own fault,” Dean shrugs and gets up onto his knees so that he can join the group hug.

Dean’s pretty sure Gabe’s going to deny the way he sobs into Dean’s shoulder until his dying day but Dean holds him through it. A selfish part of his heart is even kind of happy about this. Happy not that Gabriel is miserable but happy that his friend doesn’t see a need to hide his feelings from him.

“Umm, is this a bad time?”

“Moose.” Immediately, Gabe pushes away from Dean and wipes his tears.

Dean fishes in his pocket for a tissue that Gabe gratefully accepts. Well, having kids and their various bodily fluids around makes you be prepared.

“I was just going to get Deanie out of your hair. We’re going to go for some ice-cream with Eileen.”

Sam signs ice-cream at his son and Deanie’s whole face starts to glow he’s smiling so hard. Whether that’s because he knows the word or because his Dad is giving him attention is anyone’s guess.

“Me, too! Want ice-cream, too!” Mary gets up and starts running towards Sam.

“Uh-uh,” Dean catches her mid-run and holds her back. “You’re staying right here, young miss. This is a trip just for Sam, Eileen and Deanie.”

“Noooo!!” She stomps her foot, angry tears springing into her eyes. “Me, too!” She struggles against Dean’s hold.

“Dean, it’s o…”

“No,” Dean talks over his brother. “She’s got to get used to this. We all do.” He makes his voice hard even though his heart is breaking for his little girl, who is half-heartedly shoving at him, angry tears already giving way to real ones. “It’s going to be okay, Honey. Deanie is going away with Sam and Eileen for a while, but he’s coming back. And you have us. We’re going to go for ice-cream as well. Just some other time.”

“Nooo.” But it’s a sniffle and a whine now, and yeah, Dean’s going to need all of these tissues today, isn’t he?

“I’m sorry,” Sam says guiltily.

“You’ve got no reason to be,” Dean says even while he strokes Mary’s back to help her calm down. “You’ve got every right to be with your family.”

“Dean, you know it’s not like that. You all are my family.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods, “I know. But you gotta live your own life. I get it, man. It was me who made you start law school again, wasn’t it?”

That provokes a smile even as Sam crouches down and opens his arms for Deanie who speed-crawls over to his Dad.

It gives Dean a stab when he realizes that Deanie is this close to walking. His motor skills are still lagging a bit behind his peers but he’s making up for what doesn’t come naturally to him by sheer willpower. Only, he’s going to start walking in the next month or two. So Dean’s not going to be there to see it. He’ll see it in a tiny video on his cell phone screen. He won’t be there to cheer him on. And Dean’s already tried the facetiming thing with his own daughter, and it’s pretty much always led to tears.

“We’ll be back in an hour or two, okay?”

“Yeah,” Dean clears his throat. “Be careful.”

Sam gives him a questioning look. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “We’re going to be here when you’re back.”

“I hope so,” Sam says earnestly before he scoops Deanie up in his arm. “Bye Gabe.”

“Bye Moose.” He waits until Sam has disappeared into the house before he asks, “So, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you regret making the Moose go back to law school?”

Dean hugs his daughter close, mainly because it’s the best way he knows not to have her temper make her accidentally kick him anywhere it really hurts. “Both zero and twelve.”

“Huh.” Gabe thinks about it for a moment before he nods. “Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. He’s a decent person. For an Alpha, I mean.”

Dean snorts. “He is a decent person. For anyone. And he’s doing the right thing. He wants to help people. And he can. He’ll make so many lives better. It’s all he ever wanted.”

“And leave you behind?”

Dean shrugs. “If he has to. He knows that I’ve got a good life here. Isn’t that right, Sweetheart? We’ve got a good life with Alpha-Daddy.”

“Ice-cream,” she answers sullenly. But at least the tears seem to be drying.

“Yeah, there could always be more ice-cream,” Dean answers sagely. And to Gabe he says, “Don’t even pretend you’d do this any differently. You’d let Cas go, too.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Gabe grouses.

“Well, I’m not saying I like it. And I know for a fact the little Miss Sunshine here will have a few rainy days, cause we don’t like it at all when Deanie’s not there, do we?”

She shakes her head wildly.

“Yeah, I know. But we’re going to call them while they’re not here and we’re going to do our best to give ourselves ASL lessons so that we can talk with Deanie when he comes back. What do you say? Is that a plan?”

Mary nods and signs a clumsy but determined yes.

“Yeah, that’s it, girl. That was perfect! You’re getting really good at this.”

That gets him a tiny proud smile, which is more than he could have hoped for right now.

“Yeah, we’re gonna be so good, we’re gonna make them all proud of us,” Dean smiles back.

“See, and that’s why a comparison with me is never going to work. We like each other but we don’t have that kind of rap with each other. Cas and I, I mean.”

“It’s not a _once settled stays the same forever_ thing, you know that, right? You can still get closer to him if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah, and how do I do that? Via Zeke betraying us to Michael?”

“Yeah, no, let’s maybe try to avoid doing that one all that often. But you could talk to him, you know. About – about the facility, for example.” Dean trails off.

“About what now?” Gabe asks dumbfounded.

Dean sighs. It feels a little bit like ratting Cas out, telling Gabe about the feelings that Cas tries to keep under wraps so hard. But really, Gabe can provide a perspective here that Dean can’t. This is something Cas shares with his brother, not with Dean. “The breeding facility. How it was like to be born there. To grow up there for a few years. He doesn’t like talking to me about it. But with you, it might be different. Common life experiences and all that.”

Gabe mulls that over while Dean tries to get his daughter to go back to playing with her blocks and the wooden train. She listlessly knocks over the woodblocks. Dean sees naptime coming in their immediate future.

He gives up on Mary and leans back on his hands, staring into nothing for a moment. “I keep telling him that it’s not his fault. That he had no choice in the matter. That he wouldn’t have chosen to be born this way. But it’s not really getting through. All he sees is that he’s –“

“An Alpha,” Gabriel finishes Dean’s thought. “He thinks he’s got no right to bitch about how fucked up it was to do this to us.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “Something like that.”

“He can see it with the kid, though. That it’s fucked up of our brother to continue the cycle, not of the pup to be born.”

“Gabe, please stop swearing. I’m trying really hard to keep their vocabulary appropriate. They’re the pack-Alpha’s pups and all that happy sh- stuff.”

“Oops.” Gabe flashes him an innocent smile. “I meant _effed up_ of course.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “Great. Thanks. So much better.”

“I knew that you would appreciate my efforts. You’re welcome.” Then Gabe’s face becomes serious again. “You really think he’d want to talk to me about something like that?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“Well, for starters, because he’s got his life all sorted out while I never manage to get more than one step above complete fuck-up. And he’s got you and stuff. He doesn’t need me.”

“You ever think that not everything is about _need_? Yeah, he can get by as is. He’s got a few decades of practice. Doesn’t change that he _wants_ to be closer to you.”

“He told you this?”

“Yeah, Gabe, he told me this,” Dean says exasperatedly.

It seems to shut Gabe up for the moment, so Dean starts collecting the assorted toys. Mary has resorted to digging holes to bury her toy blocks, so it’s definitely time for them to get inside. “Okay, young lady, I think this is enough or the garden will look like we’ve got a mole.”

“Ice-cream,” she scowls.

“Yeah, no. It’s almost naptime, so no sugar before that. But maybe later tonight.”

She looks up at him. “With Deanie.” It’s eerie how much her stubborn face resembles Cas’ stubborn face.

Dean sighs. “Deanie is going to be back for dinner, Sunshine, but we’ll have to ask Uncle Moose whether he’s allowed more ice-cream. Okay?”

“Deanie.” She pouts at him.

“Will be back, I promise. In fact, if we go in now, he’ll be back by the time you wake up from your nap. Sounds good?”

She nods. It’s not exactly enthusiastic but Dean’s going to take it.

“Alright. What do you say, you and Uncle Gabriel carry the bags with our stuff and I care for the twins? You can show Uncle Gabe where everything belongs and he can help you wash your hands.”

“Okay.”

The arrangement of course means that Gabe ends up carrying all of their stuff while also holding Mary’s hand but he doesn’t seem to mind too much. The twins are more with the crawling and less with walking yet but they know how to hold on to him, and Dean’s gotten surprisingly good at getting up from the ground with two heavy pups hanging off of him like wet sacks of flour.

The twins haven’t been all that active this afternoon so far, but they were outside, they killed some flowers, Dean is pretty sure that he can manage to get them down to nap at least for a little bit. He ushers Gabe and Mary into the big pup nursery and carries the twins to the other one. He goes through their routine with trained precision. They are cooperating today, which is a nice change.

“I’m going to be in the other room, okay? You need me, you holler.”

They gurgle at him tiredly, Ben’s eyes already half-closed.

“Alright, Loves.” He gives each of them a kiss. “I’ll leave the door open.”

It seems to work for them, knowing that he’s in the room next door, hearing him talk to Mary and Deanie in their nursery – he freezes in his motion when the thought hits him that it’s going to be Mary’s room soon, not hers and Deanie’s. He hadn’t thought of it in those terms before. But with them moving to Cali – do they want to take Deanie’s bed? What of their toys is even Deanie’s? They didn’t keep a clear separation.

He forces a smile on his face when his daughter and Gabriel come back in from the bathroom. Mary looks marginally cleaner than she had been. “Are you all washed up?”

“Yes,” she nods with a big dramatic gesture that tells him all he needs to know. She hates washing up and she got away with it.

“Is that so?” he chuckles. “I think I better not check too closely. Do you want to sleep immediately or read a story first?”

“Story!” she decides and already climbs up on the couch.

“Alright.” He looks up at Gabe. “You can stay if you want but if you want to check what Cas and Bal are doing, feel free to do so. The story of Max the dog who got lost in the city and meets lots of funny strangers while he searches for his way home is very engaging of course, but…”

Gabe looks hesitant.

“Just barge in on them, man. I know you want to.”

“Yeah,” Gabe nods. “I kind of do.”

“Well, then do it. I’ll be right there. Just gotta first see what Max is up to next.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit then.”

“Okay.”

Dean snatches the book from the table and settles in next to Mary who crawls up until she’s halfway on his lap. He drapes the light blanket they have on the couch for exactly this reason over her until she’s snuggled in and starts reading.

It doesn’t take long until Mary’s eyes droop, and then until her breathing evens out. He keeps reading for a little while longer, though, since he has no idea whether the twins are already asleep or whether they are still listening to hear his voice. It makes him smile, to know that hearing his voice is what makes his pups feel safe. He hopes that that never changes.

 

Mary has been asleep for half an hour or so and Dean has yet to move when the door opens. Dean looks up from where his own eyes had been closing, too. He expects Cas, or maybe Sam and Deanie if their outing was short. But it’s neither of them.

“Is it okay if I come in?” Balthazar asks quietly.

“Sure,” Dean nods, even though he doesn’t remember a time when he was alone with Bal in a place this secluded.

“I’m sorry,” Bal apologizes with a slightly sheepish shrug. “I didn’t really know what to do.”

“It’s no problem. I would make space for you but I’m kinda weighed down,” Dean points at his softly snoring daughter.

“There’s enough space, thank you.” Bal gingerly sits down at the other end of the couch.

“So I gather they took a moment to talk on their own?” Dean asks.

“Yes,” Balthazar nods, slight frown on his face. “Gabriel requested it.”

Dean chuckles quietly. “Sounds so formal when you say it that way. Like he requested an audience with the Pope, when I think he just wanted to ask his brother whether he’s okay.”

“Is something wrong with Castiel?” Bal asks, voice worried.

It’s kind of sweet, actually, seeing how those two started out. “He’s going to be okay. It’s just that the whole breeding facility thing brings back bad memories for him.”

That gets answered with thoughtful silence. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Dean shrugs. “It’s not like he’d mention it to you or anyone else.”

“But Gabriel knew.”

“Because I told him. They’ve been born at the same place. If there’s anyone who can get Cas to talk, it’s Gabe.”

“And that’s not – bothering you?” Bal enquires carefully. Everything about him is more careful than usual today. Less blunt. Curious.

“I got more people than Cas. That I talk to. I got my brother and I got Gabe and Cain and Charlie and Kevin from class. It’d be pretty shitty of me to expect him to talk to no one but me.”

Balthazar thinks about that for a moment. “I want to say that I understand…”

“But you really don’t.”

“But I really don’t,” Bal confirms.

“Do you have any family? Apart from Gabe, I mean,” Dean asks curiously.

“Dean, I’m not – I’m not like any of you that way.”

“Hmm. They exist but it makes no practical difference because you don’t talk to them?” Dean guesses. That is about the only meaning he can deduct from that. If the Winchester-Novaks have one thing in common, it’s that they stubbornly hold onto each other, never mind whether they’re fighting or have good relations with each other.

In a way he guesses that’s even true for Michael, seeing how he is a constant presence in Dean’s marriage even though he’s exiled and by all rights should have dropped off of their horizon completely. And Luke now, too, apparently. Dean shakes his head. The Novaks are fucking weird.

“Something like that,” Balthazar agrees. “We have never been close, so it wasn’t hard to lose track of them.”

“You wanted to lose track of them?” Dean frowns. “So they’re assholes like the older Novaks?”

“They like Titanic,” Bal answers completely deadpan.

It throws Dean enough that he guffaws with laughter. It’s immediately punished by his daughter whining and squirming against him. “Shh, shh, sleep a little longer, Sunshine,” he soothes her back down. Then he focuses back on Bal. “Titanic, huh?”

“Don’t tell me you _like_ that movie?” Bal widens his eyes in mock shock.

Dean shrugs. “Cas likes the attention to detail. Like how they made all the china as perfect replica of the actual old stuff just to crash it into a million pieces within 30 seconds when the ship breaks apart.”

“Nerd,” Bal mutters.

“Fair,” Dean agrees. “So, your family likes sappy love stories. What else speaks against them?”

“Their music taste. The drafty old house. The fact that they give the Moore Pack a run for their money. Take your pick.”

“So you’re a runaway, too,” Dean notes.

“Not exactly,” Bal says. “That whole Alpha son thing comes in handy when it’s about the freedom to go explore the big city life and the movie business without getting cut off completely. Even when you’re leaving the country for it.”

Dean shakes his head. “Color me officially confused.”

Bal sighs heavily. “I’ve still got a pack, Dean. They wouldn’t throw me out if I came back, anyway. Though Heaven knows how they’d treat Gabe.”

“That’s why you never took Cas up on the pack membership!” Suddenly that makes so much more sense.

“Bingo,” Bal nods. “I’d have to officially leave the Milton pack to become part of the Novak Pack. There’s a whole lot of bureaucracy involved, too. The old country still frowns on people choosing the colonies over them.”

“Dude, we’ve been independent for a while here.”

“Oh, _I_ know that. I’ve been living here. The family, ehh.” He waves his hand dismissively.

“Have they – has Gabe ever met them?” Dean asks, still a little dumbfounded.

Balthazar shrugs uncomfortably. “Can’t say that he has. We didn’t have a big ceremony when we got mated. Kind of wasn’t the right time. We’ve always said once we have pups… Guess that never came to pass.”

“Current situation not counting?” Dean asks carefully. He’s always known that having a pup that is his by blood is important to Bal. But how that translates to this situation, Dean’s got no idea.

Balthazar apparently doesn’t, either, because he stares into space for a while, either thinking very hard or brain on complete static. Dean’s not quite sure which.

“I really love Deanie like he was my own,” Dean says quietly and bites his lip. “I’m not just saying that.”

“But you also have your own pups,” Bal points out.

“True,” Dean nods. “But you know, if we didn’t, if we couldn’t have had them, and Deanie was somewhere out there, all on his own? I’d do my damn best to get guardianship for him and bring him home.”

That makes Balthazar smile, though Dean can’t quite figure out whether it’s ironic or not. “I’ll believe that instantly.”

Dean raises his eyebrows at him.

Bal shrugs. “It’s just that you and Cas have a tendency to bring any errant sheep back into the fold.”

There isn’t much sense in denying that. Not that Dean would want to. “We don’t have that much family left. We hold on to the ones we’ve got.”

“Yes,” Balthazar nods. “And I think it’s rubbing off on me.” There’s a heavy sigh accompanying it.

“Is that your way of saying the current situation counts after all?” Dean asks, trying to make his tone lighter than he feels.

Balthazar pulls his lips into a tight line. “Do you remember how you felt after Adam’s letter? When there was the threat of someone taking Mary?”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “Wasn’t fun.”

“That would be us. Every day. With a pup that’s not even ours.”

Dean acknowledges the truth of that but still, “You’re gonna love him anyway. That’s kind of the way how it goes with pups.”

Balthazar gives him a humorless smile. “That makes it worse, not better.”

“Nah,” Dean shakes his head. “Cause we’re gonna fight for him just like we fought for Mary and Deanie. I’m not gonna let any pups get taken on my watch.”

Bal huffs and shakes his head with something like exasperated fondness.

“Oops,” Dean catches onto his mistake. “Cas won’t let any pups get taken, either. Obviously.”

 “Obviously,” Bal echoes with a quirk of his lips.

Dean gives him a shrug though he adds a grin of his own. Bal and Gabe have known them long enough to know that this is how they work.

“He loves you, you know that, right? Not Cas. I mean, Cas, too, obviously. But Gabriel. He loves you and he loves his brother. Even on the days when he can’t show it,” Bal says.

Dean smiles. “Same goes for you, man. He loves you. He’d follow you to the moon and back. Or, you know, a breeding facility down South to get a pup to raise as your own.”

“I know,” Balthazar nods. “I know that.” He runs a hand through his hair and searches for words for a moment. Finally, he settles on, “I won’t pretend that I get it. The whole thing about needing so many people. But I won’t take it away from him. Not you, not his brother, not even _Ezekiel_. I want you to know that.”

“I know that,” Dean says seriously. “You’d never have moved here if you saw that differently. You’d have never agreed to any of this. And you know, he’s tough and he’s got a temper and I think his sarcasm can actual chew through metal like acid – but he wouldn’t have pushed it. He’d have chosen you.”

“Which is exactly why I can’t make him choose,” Bal answers determinedly.

And yeah, Dean kind of knows how that works. So he smiles, and he’s pretty sure that every ounce of love he feels for Cas’ is visible in that smile. “You want to see him happy. That’s a good thing.”

For the first time today, Balthazar’s return smile isn’t tainted by bitterness. He even chuckles a little bit. “Turns out, we’re not so different after all, huh? Cas and I, I mean?”

Dean snorts. “You notice that only _now_?”

 

Cas looks beat when he comes into their bedroom. They haven’t had a moment to themselves yet, no chance for Dean to ask how the afternoon went for Cas. It had been past nine already when Dean finally wrangled their daughter back down, after she refused to let go of Deanie after their goodnight story on the couch. He hadn’t translated any of the incident into signs but judging from the look on Eileen’s face, Mary’s and his words weren’t actually necessary to understand the scene. Dean sighs. His daughter doesn’t understand the logic behind events yet but she sure as hell picks up on what is going on. And Dean’s not sure that he manages to fake like everything is alright on this one. He pushes the thoughts aside, giving Cas his full focus. “Did they decide what they want to do?” he asks.

“Yes,” Cas nods tiredly.

“Do you want me to come down South with you?” Dean asks because he’s pretty sure that he knows what Gabe’s and Bal’s final answer was.

Cas sits down on the bed, not bothering to get rid even of his tie. He buries his face in his hands for a moment before he turns to Dean. “How selfish is it of me if I say I want you on phone standby here?”

Dean snakes his hand in between Cas’ where he’s wringing them in his lap. “Is Gabe coming with you?”

“Yes,” Cas nods. “If he wants to come with us.”

“He does,” Dean confirms. “And you all don’t get to decide his life for him.”

Cas gives him a weak smile. “I know, Dean. No one is trying that.”

“Also, you need someone there who knows what’s wrong in case the place gets to you.”

By the way Cas freezes, that is not a thought that he expected.

Dean strokes his thumb over Cas’ knuckles. “You can handle it on your own if you have to. We both know that. But I like knowing that you have someone who supports you at your side, especially when I can’t be there.”

“That’s very – generous of you.”

Dean chuckles and presses a kiss to Cas’ stubble. “Dude, I thought we got past the socially awkward stage somewhere in our first year of marriage.”

Cas rolls his eyes, though the effect is diminished by his half-hearted delivery.

“Come on, Cas,” Dean nudges him. “At least give me a _don’t be a brat, Dean_ or something.”

“But you’re not being _a brat_.” This time Cas’ eye-roll is almost for real. “You’re supporting me. So much so that sometimes I…” Cas breaks off.

“Yeah, it’s kind of what we do, you know. Support each other. In case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Smartass.” But there’s no bite behind it. Instead, Cas leans in for a kiss that Dean gladly reciprocates.

It settles them both, kissing and holding each other close. They make it last as long as they can before thoughts of the current situation sneak back in.

Cas sighs when the kiss breaks but his scent is steadier than it was. He picks up their line of conversation where it got derailed. “I’ve tried to keep it vague, when we’re going to be there. But the facility staff needs an estimated time of arrival to have everything prepared. I’ve requested that they keep the information private but of course I have no way to make sure that they honor that agreement.”

Dean hates to point this out, but, “Plus, if Charlie can hack their system, someone else can, too.”

Cas nods. “The thought has occurred to me. But if you think about it, between Ellen’s concealed carry permit, Bal’s and my Alpha strength and Gabe’s pure hatred of my brothers, I think we’re going to be quite safe.”

And worded like that, yeah, they’re bringing a lot of raw power to this meeting. Power that will be absent at the pack while they’re away. “Are you saying that if it’s a trap, it might be for us here and not you?”

Cas’ scent immediately turns murky and he nods grimly. “That thought has crossed my mind as well. I’ve already informed Jody and asked her to keep an extra close eye on Ezekiel’s activities.”

“Makes sense,” Dean nods though he doesn’t like the implications of this at all. “What about us? You want me here but I’m guessing you don’t want me out and about with a threat like that hanging over our heads.”

Cas actually cringes, his mind probably replaying the same scenes from Dean’s ‘house arrest’ before the birth of the twins as Dean’s. It was not a good time for either of them.

“It wouldn’t be for long?” Cas makes it a question, doesn’t even utter the request.

“I know,” Dean nods though it doesn’t make him like this any better.

“And it’s not – it’s not what you think right now. I don’t want you to stay behind and in the house to protect you. I want you here with the pups because I know that _you_ will protect _them_.”

That makes Dean smile against his will. “That’s a nice sentiment, Cas. And you know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect our family.” He sighs. “But unfortunately that doesn’t give me Alpha strength. So, should we invite Grandpaw over for a sleepover? I’m sure he’d be happy to build blanket forts with us.”

Because as competent as Sam and Eileen are, Dean’s pretty sure that it will ease Cas’ mind to have an Alpha around who will not shy away from violence should there be need for it. No matter how unorthodox it is to rely on a Lone Wolf to keep your family safe.

“Yes, I think that would be a good idea,” Cas nods with a small relieved smile. So he was going to propose this, too, but had no idea how to bring it up.  

Dean shakes his head fondly. “It’s the bees, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“You’re totally bonding over bees. You two are such nerds. It’s kind of cute, actually.”

Cas ducks his head, making Dean chuckle.

“Are you hiding a blush, little Alpha?” Dean teases.

It has the desired effect because Cas immediately straightens up, pushing his shoulders back and grumbling, “I’m not hiding anything.”

“That’s good,” Dean smiles, “cause you don’t have to.” And he leans in to kiss the scowl right off Cas’ face.

This time, when they break apart, their bodies want to stay close, so they lean against each other, unashamed in their affection and the way they tangle themselves into each other.

“Did you send him to me? Gabriel, I mean?” Cas asks.

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “Thought it might help. Do I need to apologize?”

“No,” Cas shakes his head. “No, it was – good. It’s just –“ He breaks off.

“Just what, Cas?” Dean pushes gently.

“I just can’t stop thinking about it. That if they’d tested for secondary gender regularly back then like they do now – he wouldn’t be here to talk to.”

“Shitty,” Dean answers.

“Yeah,” Cas agrees. “He knows it, too.”

“You talked about that, huh?”

Cas nods into Dean’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Dean says, a little helpless, because the scent of saltwater is suddenly swimming in the air, and Dean has no way to make this better.

Cas frees one of his hands to wipe angrily at the tears when they’re daring to escape his eyes and roll down his cheeks. “I hate this.” His voice is small. “I hate feeling like this.”

“Powerless?” Dean asks.

Cas’ nod is vehement. And yeah, Dean hates the feeling, too, though he’s had many years of getting used to it when he was younger. He’s still more confounded when it’s actually in his hands to change something than when he can’t do anything.

Still, “I get it,” Dean nods and leans over to fish a few tissues from the box on the nightstand and hand them to Cas. Because among the sea of memories a few stand out that he thinks come pretty close to Cas’ impotent anger at the unfairness of everything.

Cas takes the tissues with a mumbled _thank you_ and blows his nose.

Dean watches him quietly before deciding, what the hell. “Last time I felt like that was when I thought Mary hadn’t made it.”

The reaction is immediate. Cas freezes and looks up at him.

Dean bites his lip. “Felt like I was watching the world crumble around me without being able to do a damn thing about it, because it was all my fault in the first place.”

“Dean…” Cas’ hand grasps at Dean’s.

“I know, Cas. I know that that’s bullshit. That’s the whole point.” Dean squeezes Cas’ hand. “So the question is, do you? Do you know it?” Dean challenges him.

“Dean, I…”

“You’re good mate and a good brother. Someone who cares. Who’s doing everything in his power to make everyone’s life better. That’s what you wanted to say, right?” Dean talks right over him.

For a long moment, Cas says nothing. And when he starts back up, every word is reluctant, like he has to force it out. “He said that sometimes he thought it would have been for the better. If they had tested him before he was born. If they had….”

The sentence breaks and for a heartbeat it feels like the rug is pulled out from under him. It actually makes him feel dizzy and he tightens his grip on Cas’ hand to have something to ground him. “But I thought – he was better! He didn’t think like this anymore!” It comes out too desperate and Dean knows it.

Cas’ eyes are as lost as Dean feels when he answers. “I don’t know whether he does. I don’t think – he didn’t mention – I think it’s in the past. I think he’s better. It’s just – it’s hard to hear. I’ve failed him so much.”

“No, Cas,” Dean shakes his head. “No, you don’t get to do this.”

He untangles his hands from Cas, who looks at him out of shocked wide eyes.

“There’s only one person who has a right to judge you on that. And it’s _not you_.”

In answer, Cas turns his head away.

“Hey, no. I won’t let you do this,” Dean bodily turns Cas back around, glad that he doesn’t put up more than a token fight. “Gabe told you point blank that he doesn’t blame you for anything. That the worst thing he thinks you ever did to him is hiding the key to the pantry. You wanna be upset about the world? I’m with you on that. The world is shitty. We can be upset together. But this? This is bullshit. He wanted to talk to you today because he wanted to help. Because you needed a friend. Someone who understood what you went through as a pup. He doesn’t need you to be his savior. He wants you to be his _friend_ for God’s sake.” And oops that had gotten a little more passionate than Dean had intended. “Sorry,” he apologizes immediately. “I didn’t mean to get loud.”

Cas sits frozen for a moment, then he swallows hard. “No, I’m sorry. I’m being a self-absorbed bastard.”

“Nah,” Dean says and goes back to holding onto his mate. “Gotta tell you, though, you may have a tiny bit of a hero complex.”

Cas leans his head on Dean’s shoulder. “I just want everyone to be happy.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “Me, too. Do I need to explicitly state it that _everyone_ includes you?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, little Alpha.”

Cas presses a kiss somewhere in the vicinity of Dean’s mating bite, and finally some of the tension seems to leave him. “Do you think Gabriel wanted to dissuade me? Is that why he told me? He said it was only fair that I knew. Because I wanted them to adopt a child and I should know everything that speaks against it.”

“He’s scared.”

“Yes,” Cas nods. “He’s terrified.”

“But you said that they want to take in the pup.”

Cas gives him a wobbly smile. “He’s terrified, I didn’t say he was running.”

 

 

And with that, things are settled. The house bunkers down with the same efficiency that it always does when they have a plan. There are meetings and phone calls are being made and schedules are decided and laws are being researched. Dean gives his input when asked but makes sure to give room to Gabe’s voice whenever he can.

It’s noticeable, how Gabe is used to making decisions for the Omegas in the dorms but isn’t used to this. He tries to hide behind Bal’s opinion but neither Dean nor Cas let him get away with it when they notice. Bal himself seems to take things in stride. He catches Dean’s eyes once or twice, an uncertainty in his own eyes that Dean can’t explain. But Bal doesn’t ask, so Dean lets it be for now. It’s not like they don’t have enough on their plates as is.

So it comes that a few weeks later, Cain stands in their doorway, a travel pack over his shoulder, while two cars with four people start out on their way down South. Dean smiles at his father and bids him come in, happy that he’s here, at the same time that his heart is heavy with worry for his mate and his friends.

 

Dean thinks it breaks Hannah’s brain a little. That the Alpha who without a doubt has both seniority and the most raw power in the house is in fact the one who has no authority at all. That the Alpha who is the second most powerful is the nanny and that the Alpha who is legally the one she should be reporting to is a floppy haired law-student who she’s known since he was a teenage pup and who she can’t quite take as seriously as she should.

Dean can’t help but be somewhat shocked by how she solves the conundrum, though. Which is why he’s been staring at Hannah open-mouthed for the past ten minutes.

“So in summary, everything seems to be in order,” she closes. “For now, anyway. Jody will of course stay on high alert. We have agreed that she’s going to send a police car by at irregular intervals throughout the night to make sure everything is okay.”

She leaves a pause there, as if she expects input or approval. Dean shakes himself out of his stupor. “Uhh, okay? Sounds good to me. Better safe than sorry, right?” It’s a bullshit answer but he can’t think of anything better.

“That is Castiel’s motto as well,” Hannah answers gravely. “I will of course also report this to him.”

“Sure,” Dean nods. “Though if you want me to do it, I can. We’re scheduled for a call before bedtime.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather do it myself,” Hannah replies politely. “Multiple relay stations are proven to lose part of the message content.”

“You’re talking Chinese Whispers, not technology, I assume?”

She allows herself a small but proud smile. “Yes, I am.”

A joke. She made a joke and she reported back to him instead of any of the Alphas in the house. The world is full of small wonders. “Well then, in that case it’s probably better you call him directly with your security report. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that everything is – well within parameters?” And if this turns into a thing, Dean’s really got to learn vocabulary that doesn’t come from a Buffy The Vampire Slayer re-watch.

“I believe he will be,” Hannah nods seriously. “Do you need me for anything else?”

“Nah. I’m going to go find Grandpaw, see whether he’s up for some company or whether the pups have tuckered him out.”

Her forehead creases for a moment but then her face smooths out. “He’s reading in the living room if I’m not mistaken.”

And look at that, she is not even afraid of leaving the precious Omega-mate alone with his Lone Wolf-father anymore. “Thanks, Hannah. I appreciate it.” He really does.

“You’re welcome.” She nods at him and turns back to the offices.

Dean shakes his head in silent amusement. It’s been a long time since he and Hannah had any actual problems with each other but it’s definitely not usual for her to approach him like he’s the person in charge. Times must be changing indeed.

 

Consequently, Dean is in a surprisingly good mood when he makes it to the living room, carrying two mugs with tea, already sweetened with honey. Sometime between the two pregnancies he’s developed, well, not necessarily a taste for herbal teas, but at least a tolerance. And seeing how Cain even dries herbs from his garden to make his own blends, Dean thinks the choice of beverage will be appreciated, even if the day was warm. But the tea is as much a ritual to calm frayed nerves as it is something hot to drink, and with the situation as is, soothing down some anxieties can’t hurt.

“Here you go,” Dean puts a mug on the side table next to the armchair Cain’s occupying and puts his own tea on the coffee table before sinking back into the couch pillows.

“Thank you. Are the pups asleep?”

Dean pulls his legs up on the couch, making himself comfortable. “The twins are down. Sam and Eileen are with Mary and Deanie still. It’s their night to read the bedtime story.”

Cain nods and stares back into his book, though he doesn’t seem to be actually reading. Dean takes a sip of his tea. It’s still too hot, so he balances the mug in his hands for the time being.

“Do you think you could teach me? The gestures.” Cain motions abruptly before letting his hands fall back into his lap.

“You want to learn how to sign?” Dean asks surprised.

“He’s gonna get bigger. I need to be able to tell him what to do and what not to do when he’s playing near the hives with Mary,” Cain says gruffly.

It’s a stab of pain at the same time that it warms his heart. He’s got no idea whether Cain even knows how much this means. How deeply he’s integrating himself into everyone’s hearts – and how deeply he lets the pups into his heart in return.

“I can teach you some,” Dean nods. “But I’m not exactly fluent. I mean, I try. And honestly, I _am_ better than Cas. But – I dunno, wait until they’re back from Cali? If they come back. See whether you even need to learn.”

“I thought they were just going for the summer?” Cain asks.

Dean shrugs and stares at his tea instead of looking at Cain. It’s the most open he’s ever been about these particular fears and he regrets it already. He has no right to sulk. Not when his brother is doing everything that he’s always dreamed of. “He wanted to become a lawyer since he was a pup. It’s such a weird dream for a kid to have.”

Sam had been 12, maybe, and had just gotten through patching Dean up. _‘When I’m grown, I’m gonna be a lawyer. And then we’ll sue the assholes and they’ll never do it again.’_ Dean had had less lofty goals. Like avoiding the assholes forever by leaving school. But he hadn’t had the heart to tell his brother how unlikely his dream was to be fulfilled. How much money you needed for law school and how much they didn’t have that money. So he’d told him to concentrate on school and get good grades so he would make it into a good college instead of wasting his time worrying about Dean so goddamn much.

“He’s protective,” Cain breaks into the memory. “He’s going to be a better defense attorney than prosecutor.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods because it pretty much mirrors his own thoughts. “People underestimate him because he’s – Sam.” Puppy dog eyes and floppy hair. Forever trying to make himself look less towering, less impressive, less threatening. “They shouldn’t.”

Cain smiles. “No, they shouldn’t,” he agrees. “They shouldn’t underestimate you, either.”

Dean shrugs to that and takes another sip of his tea instead of answering.

“You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, either. They’re your family. They’ll come back.” Cain says it with finality and starts reading again.

Dean lets him be, taking his phone in hand to read some of the articles for school that he’s downloaded, though of course he also checks whether there is any news. No messages, though. Well, it was unlikely that he missed any notifications in the first place, seeing how his phone has never left his immediate vicinity today.

He gets through half an article, the two of them reading in companionable silence, before Sam checks in on them. He gives a thumbs-up when Dean raises an eyebrow at him. “They’re both down.”

“Thanks, Sam.” He tries to keep it casual but apparently he’s easy to read today because Sam’s face does a weird sort of twitch and then Sam steps into the room.

“Dean…”

“It’s fine, Sam,” he says determinedly. “Thanks for helping.”

Sam throws a worried glance in Cain’s direction but forges ahead anyway. “Dean, I know that this is less than ideal and if it wasn’t _Tessa McKeon_ asking I wouldn’t even be considering it but even my professor…”

Dean holds up a hand to stop his brother. They’ve gone through this spiel before. “She’s more badass than even your badass professor, yes, you’ve told me before.”

“My professor does _contract law_ , Dean. Do you know what it means if he tells me to go work for her? That this is the internship I should be doing?”

Dean kind of does and he really doesn’t want to talk about it but Cain’s looking up with an interested expression now so he gives in. “That this shit will help you someday. That you’ll argue a contract made about an Omega’s life and win.”

“No, Dean, that I’ll argue a contract _made_ by an Omega about their life one day,” Sam answers heatedly. “That one day I won’t have to argue _property law_ anymore. That everything Jess and I were fighting for has a chance of actually coming true.” He crosses his arms over his chest defensively though his eyes still blaze with an open challenge.

It’s a low blow, too, bringing Jess into this. Like Dean doesn’t want her fight to leave a legacy just as much as Sam does. “And I want you to go, okay? I do. I want you to save the world. It’s just,” he wants to rip out his hair in frustration. “It’s just that Mary and Deanie have basically been attached at the hip since Deanie was born and they’re pretty much siblings and…”

“…and they remind you of us.” Abruptly, understanding blooms in Sam’s eyes and the fight goes out of him. He sinks down on the couch next to Dean.

“I know I ain’t gonna lose you, Sam. We’ve been through too much shit together. But I have no idea how to explain it to her. She’s so fucking protective of him already.”

“And he adores her,” Sam runs a hand through his hair as if to stall, making Dean think that he hasn’t thought about this before. “I’ll have to explain to him as well.”

“And I doubt that it’ll be much more fun,” Dean says with a weak smile. “I remember explaining to you why I had to leave you to go to school every morning. It’s safe to say that you weren’t a fan of the concept.”

“You know how fucked up that is, right? That it should have been Dad explaining, not you?” Sam answers.

Dean shrugs. He knows it. But to be honest, he’s glad that John was rarely around to see Sam’s tantrums. John didn’t deal well with tantrums when he was there to witness them. But fortunately, even when he was home in the mornings he usually slept the comatose sleep of a drunk who has keeled over only a few hours ago after downing a bottle of whiskey. “Well, you got a chance to do better than John now,” is all he finally says, though.

Sam frowns at him. And okay, maybe that was a little more aggressive than was called for.

“We,” Dean amends. “We have a chance to do better.”

Sam’s eyes flicker to Cain again whose book has sunken to his lap while he observes the brothers silently. “It’s okay, Dean,” Sam says tightly. “You can say it as it is. I have John’s genes. I am the one who has to prove himself.”

“Sam,” Dean closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose. This happens when Dean’s stressed out. He lashes out without meaning to. “You’re going to do fine, alright? Even knowing nothing else, the fact that we’re here talking about this already proves that you’re a much more thoughtful father than John ever was.”

Sam nods but judging by the way he bites his lip he’s not convinced. And that – shifts Dean’s perspective in one sudden instant. He sits up straighter to frown at his brother. His brother, who really wants to do this, but who is quite obviously scared.

“You can do this, Sammy, you know this, right?” He puts a hand on his arm and squeezes. “You don’t need me. Or even Eileen, though I’m happy for you. But you are Deanie’s Dad and you’re a good father, whether we’re there or not.”

Sam tenses under his hand. “You’re, umm, happy for me?” He blushes.

And of course Sam focuses on the least important detail of the speech. Dean rolls his eyes. “Yes, doofus. I’m happy for you and Eileen.”

Sam blushes even deeper. “It’s not, umm, it’s not like that.”

“Rrrrright.” Dean rolls the R as long as humanly possible. “Of course it’s not. So I will be happy for you in the future then. Whenever, you know, it turns out to be that way between you two after all.”

“I, umm, thank you, Dean.” That blush isn’t going anywhere, it seems. Sam also studiously avoids looking at Dean, even though an unconscious smile is now playing around his lips.

And just like that Dean has another insight. California gives them the chance to play house. To figure out whether they work as a family unit when it’s just them. When they’re not living in someone else’s house - welcome and loved of course but still abiding by someone else’s rules and not on equal footing. Not even with each other, seeing that Eileen is Cas’ employee and Sam is Cas’ brother-in-law.

Well, Dean wouldn’t be surprised that if and when they come back, Eileen will not be an employee in their household anymore. He pats his brother’s arm. “Go pack some more of your stuff, Sasquatch. You only have a few days left and I know you’re going to be unhappy without your bazillion hair products.”

Sam opens his mouth for a retort, but then just smiles, relief obvious in his eyes, as if he had honestly doubted that he had Dean’s blessing. “Thanks, Dean,” he repeats.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean waves him off. “You’re doing the right thing. We both know it. Now go. Pack your stuff and let me read this boring article.”

Still, Dean stares after him until he’s been out of the door for a while. Then he turns back to Cain. “You know what? I think you might be right. About him coming back to the pack. But I have a feeling they’re going to want their own place.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Cain asks.

“No,” Dean shakes his head. “No, it really isn’t.”

 

Dean stays with Cain until Cain states that he’s tired and is going to retire. Dean bids him goodnight and goes to check the house. It all looks normal to him. The doors are locked, the windows are closed.

There’s light from the offices but when he goes to check it’s just Charlie who is in the middle of a raid with her guild apparently. She’s bothered him about making a character for the game and joining her more than once but he’s steadfastly refused. He doesn’t have enough time as is. There is a certain high-school AP student, though, who was more than happy to join the fray.

“Say Hi to Kev,” he mouths at Charlie.

She gives him a thumbs-up before yelling into her mic. “On your right, on your right!!”

He leaves them to it and instead makes his way over to the nurseries for a quick check-in. Sam and Eileen have the baby monitors tonight, citing that they’ll help as much as they can as long as they’re here. But it’s hard to resist checking up on the little munchkins. Just to make sure everything is okay. Not because he misses them already after a few short hours of peace. Course not.

He stays next to Deanie’s crib for a while, watching the toddler’s chest rise and fall steadily. Sam’s a good father, that wasn’t a lie. After the initial rough start and with the support of Eileen’s unwavering guidance, Sam has taken on his role with great responsibility and a lot of heart. Still, in those first few months, when Sam was beside himself with grief and didn’t always manage to care for Deanie, Dean had taken on a paternal role for the little critter. And while he has stepped back lately, has done his very best to let Sam and Eileen fill the roles of the parents and be no more than the uncle, he can’t help it, he still views Deanie as one of his own. He has a feeling that he’s going to annoy the piss out of Sammy asking for Facetime calls when he can’t otherwise see Deanie every day anymore. He’s pretty sure he’s going to have a vocal advocate for video calls in his daughter, too.

“Well, your daddy will just have to deal,” Dean whispers softly and straightens Deanie’s blanket before quietly retreating from the room.

He goes through his night routine. It’s not unusual per se for him to do this on his own – Cas often comes to bed later than Dean – but it’s definitely unusual to be in bed and still be alone. And Cas hasn’t even called yet. He sends him a short text message.

_Dean: Just call whenever you find the time. I’ll be here._

And because he’s a big sap he adds,

_Dean: Love you._

He thinks about adding a few emojis but leaves it be. Emojis are definitely Cas’ area of expertise. He manages to string together whole sentences out of emojis. That usually he has to explain to Dean because they’re really obscure, but hey.

Dean clicks back on his reading app and starts with the article again. If nothing else, it’ll tire him out. He should have chosen a more hands-on subject that needed less reading. But then, he’s getting closer to his thesis, and Rowena’s reading list will hopefully help him choose a subject.

It’s a quarter to eleven when his phone finally flashes Cas’ photo at him to indicate an incoming call. Dean grins at the candid shot for a second before hitting the _take call_ button.

“Hey Cas,” he says softly.

“Dean.”

It doesn’t take more than that one word to know that the day didn’t go as expected. “What’s wrong?” Dean asks and sits up straight. “What happened?”

There is a brief silence before Cas hesitantly says, “There has been – a development.”

“Good or bad?” Though by the tone of Cas’ voice, the answer seems pretty clear already.

“At this point, it’s mostly confusing.”

“Okay? Come on, man, spill.”

“A second claim has been made.”

“Luke?”

“No. Michael.”

“Oh shit,” Dean cusses. But then, seeing that it was quiet on the pack front, Dean should have expected this. Michael was playing some angle after all.

“I would agree if it wasn’t for the fact that the claim has been made yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Dean frowns.

“Yes,” Cas confirms. “Ellen and I have talked it through for an hour just now but it still doesn’t make any sense.”

“He knew you were going to try and finalize the handover today?” Dean hedges. “And wants to throw a wrench in the gears?”

“I had the same thought but it appears that his claim was made in ignorance of ours. He formally announced his claim to the pup as an Alpha uncle. In writing. He didn’t mention us, he didn’t call, there’s no injunction prepared, nothing. There’s just this letter of intent concerning the claiming of Lucifer’s pup.”

“That – doesn’t make any sense,” Dean says dumbly.

“I know!” Cas sounds just as puzzled as he was before. “Management called him back this morning, telling him that the pup already has a claim that is being processed. The lady was quite annoyed and asked me why the information wasn’t communicated in the family.”

“So he _actually_ didn’t know?”

“Apparently,” Cas says helplessly. “As improbable as that sounds.”

“So what you’re saying is that he didn’t know that we had the info,” Dean says flabbergasted. “Call me insane, but to me this sounds like…”

“Yes,” Cas agrees. “That is the only logical conclusion that I could come up with. It seems like it was Adam who forwarded us the message.”

“Wow.” That takes a moment to sink in.

“Yeah, wow.” Cas echoes.

“I didn’t expect that.”

“Neither did I. Michael will not be amused.”

“Shit.” Dean sits down on the bed heavily. “Do you think he can trace it back to Adam?”

“I don’t know,” Cas answers helplessly.

“Shit.” Dean repeats.

“We could have found the information on our own,” Cas argues weakly.

“Also improbable, isn’t it?” Dean huffs a mirthless little laugh. “Especially since Ezekiel was just there.”

“Shit.” This time they say it simultaneously.

“He needs to be warned,” Cas says out loud what Dean had been thinking.

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “Goddammit, we might already be too late if this was in the morning.”

“If Michael has a fast way of contacting him. They know that we are tracking his calls. He agreed to it after all.”

“Burner phones are a thing, Cas.”

“I know,” Cas grinds out. “Still…”

“I’ll do it. I’ll call him.”

There is a long silence on the other end of the line.

“Cas?”

“I don’t like it,” Cas says tightly. “We don’t know how he’s going to react. We don’t know whether he’s going to run. Whether he’s going to do something stupid if he thinks Adam is in danger.”

“True,” Dean nods. “Hmm. I’ll make Hannah call him and ask him to come here? That way at least we have three Alphas to keep him in place until he’s calmed down?”

“I like that even less,” Cas growls quietly.

“Cas…”

“But yes, you’re right,” Cas continues before Dean can say any more. “Doing this in person seems the safest way and there is nothing I can do about it from here. All I can do is try to get proceedings here over with as quickly as possible so that I can come home.”

“Yeah. I miss you, little Alpha.”

Cas gives a deep sigh. “I miss you, too, Dean.”

They share their misery in silence for a moment before Dean says, “So, does this change anything? Or do you think the original schedule still holds?”

“They’re evaluating both claims since I told them that an amicable decision within the family was unlikely. But in theory, it shouldn’t take them long to decide in our favor.”

“Because you’re a pack-Alpha and he’s not.”

“Yes,” Cas nods.

“Okay,” Dean says. “That’s good.” Though of course there is an unknown variable in this. “Do you think Michael’s going to show up in person?”

Cas’ voice tenses even more. “I wish I knew. I hope that it’s too short notice.”

“Well, come home quickly then?” Dean asks and knows that he doesn’t manage to keep out all of the anxiety that the thought of Michael getting anywhere near Cas brings.

“I’m doing my best,” Cas assures him. Then, quieter, “I don’t think I’ve ever missed you quite this much. Is that weird?”

There’s a lot of things Dean could say to that. About how they’re both relying on each other when stressed out. About how much comfort it brings to have your family close. But Cas knows all of that, so Dean chooses to instead softly joke, “Thought you’re only supposed to be pining before you know whether someone likes you back. And hey, we made some pups together. Pretty sure that’s a good indication that I like you back.”

“Well, to be honest, I already took the part where you marked me yours during our first meeting as a pretty good indication,” Cas deadpans.

“Ah yes, there was that,” Dean grins. “Though technically it was our second meeting. There was a whole night in between and everything.”

“Touché,” Cas admits. “God, I wish you were here. Or rather, that I was there.”

“Soon, little Alpha,” Dean soothes. “How’s everyone else holding up?”

“They’re – holding up.”

“They’re nervous, huh? Bal and Gabe?”

“Very,” Cas nods. “And today’s events haven’t helped.”

“Yeah, I get it. Hey, thinking about it, it’s probably better for Michael if he doesn’t show up. Bal might just kill him for real.”

Cas groans and from the noises Dean’s pretty sure he’s trying to rub away a headache.

“Okay, Alpha, you gotta get your ass to bed. You need your beauty sleep.”

“Yes, my beloved.” And Dean never knew that it was possible to _hear_ someone rolling their eyes. But apparently it is. Then Cas goes back to a much more serious tone. “Be safe, Dean.”

“You, too, Cas. Call me as soon as you know anything, okay?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

 

Dean spends the next morning arguing. He’d thought it would be a good idea to just get it over with and explain the new developments to everyone at once, but he thinks he made a tactical error there. Just telling Hannah to please ask Ezekiel to come by would have been so much easier. Dean’s pretty sure that she would still have called Cas to make sure this was something that Cas had approved, but she wouldn’t have made as much of a fuss as everyone else is making.

Dean rubs a hand over his forehead, hoping to stave off the headache that the argument in combination with him not sleeping well without Cas by his side brings. He’s not even quite sure anymore what they’re discussing but the general gist is that no one likes the plan and they’re all vocal about it. Dean gives them another few minutes to get it out of their systems before he finally interferes.

“Stop.” Predictably, they don’t listen, so he repeats himself louder. “Would you please all shut up for a second!”

This time, they turn to stare at him.

“Thanks,” he grumbles. Then he leans forward, makes himself tall. Looks at everyone he’s speaking to. Tries to sign simultaneously as best as he can. “This is how things will go: Hannah will call Ezekiel and ask him to come by. If it’s absolutely necessary, you can alert Jody. Not to come by, just so she knows. I don’t want the pups anywhere near Ezekiel, so Eileen, if you could please keep them occupied for a while? Cain, I know you are here to protect us but I think in this case I’d rather not risk the confrontation. Sam, you ready to do this with me?”

There is a rather rattled silence around the table.

Sam is the first to find his voice again but then, Sam’s the only one that Dean didn’t just basically throw out. “Umm, sure.”

“Good.” Dean claps him on the shoulder. “Anyone else want to disagree or run this by my mate to confirm or something? A word of warning, though: I think Hannah did that already when she slipped out fifteen minutes ago, so it’s probably gonna be a moot effort.”

“Umm, yeah,” Hannah admits.

“Want to share with the class?” Dean asks, tone more biting than he intends.

Hannah frowns but her voice is smooth as usual when she answers. “Cas said to let Dean handle the situation.”

Dean nods satisfied. “Any questions?”

“Yes,” Hannah nods. “When do you want Ezekiel here?”

And that went over much easier than Dean thought it would. “As soon as he can make it. He’s had a day to have contact with Michael already, a few minutes now won’t make a difference.”

“Uhh, yeah, on that topic?” Charlie pipes up. “He had an incoming call from a number I couldn’t place yesterday. I didn’t think much of it because he didn’t take the call. I’m guessing I’m going to track back that number, huh?”

“Probably a good idea,” Dean nods.

“Alrighty-right, I’ll be on my way then. If that’s all I mean?” She gives him a wry smile when she notices how the question throws him, but adamantly waits.

“Uhh, yeah, sure, Charles. Go do your thing,” he officially dismisses her.

“Thanks, Dean.” She winks at him and saunters off.

“I should go, too, make that phone call. Dean?”

And this is getting weirder and weirder. “Umm, sure, Hannah. Thanks.”

She doesn’t bless him with a smile, instead keeping her greeting to a short nod, but there’s no doubt that she, too, asked for his permission to leave.

“So weird,” he shakes his head.

“You’re the one who started giving them orders,” Sam shrugs.

“Did not!” Dean protests. But it doesn’t even need Sam’s raised eyebrow to know that yeah, he did. “Things had to get done. And I _did_ make this plan with Cas,” Dean defends. “It’s the best way.”

Sam holds his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m not doubting it. Just saying that any reaction is a direct consequence of an action.”

“Thanks for lawyering it up, Sam,” Dean answers drily.

“You’re welcome,” Sam snorts.

“God, I’m gonna miss you,” Dean shakes his head.

It’s only when Sam directs puppy dog eyes at him that Dean notices that he’s said that out loud.

“Facetime, Sam. With you, the wife and the pup.” And yes, he signs that in the exact same words, just to enjoy the double blush taking over the faces around him.

Sam doesn’t even put up a token protest, though. He nods obediently and says, “You got it.”

“Good.”

 

It doesn’t get any less strange after that. Cain is quiet in the midst of the storm, staying close to Dean without interfering, but when Ezekiel is finally at the door, Dean doesn’t even need to ask him to leave. Cain mumbles something about checking up on Eileen and the pups and is gone. That leaves Sam and Dean.

“You ready for this?” Dean asks his brother.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Sam smirks. “Pretty sure you’ll want to lead the interrogation.”

“Not an interrogation,” Dean shakes his head. “Not even an interview. Just a friendly conversation.”

“See,” Sam grins. “You want to lead.”

Dean’s got no time to protest because Hannah is already leading Ezekiel in. “Do you want to stay here or should I bring refreshments to the office?” She asks.

“Uhh, nah, it’s fine,” Dean shakes his head. “We can get our own drinks.”

“Alright,” Hannah nods at him and leaves the kitchen.

“Umm, hi,” Dean turns to Ezekiel. “You want anything?”

“Why am I here?”

And okay, Dean guesses all of this must come over even weirder for Ezekiel than it is for Dean. After all, he just got summoned to a house that he’s never been welcome in before while the Alpha of the household isn’t even there.

“Because there’s been a development,” Dean says, “and we’d like you to know about it. Want to sit?”

Ezekiel wordlessly walks over to the table, choosing a chair on the far side of where Sam and Dean are. Dean guesses that it’s for the better and sits down where he is. Sam remains standing, towering over them, and Dean’s hard pressed not to roll his eyes at the gesture of dominance.

A day ago, Dean would have classified Ezekiel’s nervous scent and the way his eyes keep darting from Dean to his brother and back as guilt. Now, he’s not so sure anymore.

“I used to be like that,” Dean says quietly. “I used to expect the worst. Usually was what the world gave me. I thought, anyway.” Ezekiel’s eyes focus on him, so Dean guesses he has his attention at least. “Thing is, it wasn’t true. Not even before I came here. I had my brother. I had a friend or two I could count on. It’s not everything I wanted. But it’s far from the worst.”

It doesn’t have the effect Dean wants it to have. Ezekiel’s eyes widen in fear. “Did something – did something happen to Gabriel? Or to Adam?”

“I hope not,” Dean answers and leans forward towards Ezekiel. “The info about Luke’s son, where did you get it from? Adam or Michael?”

Ezekiel swallows heavily and avoids Dean’s gaze. And yeah, Dean gets it, this probably sounds a little ominous.

“Look, man, you know that I know. You know that Gabe trusts me. And you also know that you wouldn’t be here with just the Moose and me if we thought there was any immediate danger.”

“Then you know that I didn’t get the info from Michael,” Ezekiel hisses.

“Well, no. We didn’t. Not until today.”

“He found out.” Ezekiel pales.

It’s not a question but Dean nods anyway. “Yeah.”

“Shit,” Ezekiel cusses and it’s probably the most animated Dean has ever seen him. “We were hoping…” He shakes his head. “Shit.”

Dean wholeheartedly agrees with that sentiment. It pretty much characterizes any of their interactions with Michael ever. “I don’t actually think that there’s anything that can be done but I thought it was fair to tell you.” He sighs because that also sounds shitty. “I mean, if you’ve got any brilliant ideas how to contact Adam without it being obvious that it’s because of this, I’m listening.”

“There aren’t any,” Ezekiel shakes his head. His face has gone even paler. “I told you, I have no way of contacting him from here. And even when I’m there, it’s – determination and luck.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean says because he is. It’s a shitty situation.

Ezekiel laughs a hollow laugh. “You’re sorry. Okay.” He shakes his head. “I still can’t decide whether it was lucky or the worst thing that’s ever happened to us when you showed up on the scene.”

“Hey, man…” Dean starts because that’s not fair. He’s never done a single thing to harm them.

But Ezekiel waves him off. “Never mind. I know. It’s just that…” He breaks off.

“That the situation sucks. I get it.” Dean licks his lips. “We have no information about what Michael knows. About how he found out about the pup. Whether it was a paper-trail you left, or whether he was monitoring us, or whether it’s something else altogether.” And because he has no idea how else to approach this, Dean decides to be blunt. “I know this is an invasive question but – how circumspect were you? How likely is it that if he suspects you he suspects Adam as well?”

And Dean really hopes that Ezekiel is a better actor when he is at Michael’s because his scent is all over the place as he tries to figure out the question.

“Come on, man. It’s not that hard. If he suspects that we flipped you, we’ll have to expect him trying to get to you. But he’ll have to do that here. So we have a pretty decent chance of crossing any plans he makes. If he suspects Adam, that’s a much tougher nut to crack.”

That stops Ezekiel cold. “You – you’d do something? You’d help?” The astonishment is palpable.

“We’d try,” Dean dampens Ezekiel’s hopes. “We’ve been trying for a while now.”

“What?”

Dean looks over at his brother, who shrugs and speaks up for the first time. “I see no reason not to tell him. If he blabs to Michael, what can he tell him other than that Cas’ brother-in-law is a bleeding-heart liberal who feels like collaring Omegas should be illegal. I’m pretty sure Michael’s aware of that anyway.”

Dean nods and turns back to Ezekiel. “You heard the man. The bleeding-heart liberals are trying to promote social change. Including giving Omegas the right to separate and divorce from the Alpha they’re married to without the Alpha’s permission.”

“In fact,” Sam adds, “this bleeding-heart lawyer,” he points at himself, “is all in favor of giving Omegas full control over their lives whether they’re married or not. No more next of kin. No more guardianship. No more Alpha name on bank accounts or work contracts.” He smiles. “Ah, I can almost feel the assholes lament the breakdown of society already. It feels good.”

Dean chuckles against his will. “Dude, you’ve got a long way to go before we’re anywhere close to your utopia.”

“But we’re getting closer,” Sam points out. “Small steps maybe, but at least there’s movement in the right direction.”

“God, it was high time that you enrolled back in school. I have no idea what you did with all this energy while you didn’t get to harass everyone about our legal system.” Dean shakes his head.

“Jogging,” Sam deadpans.

Dean snorts. “Right. In any case,” he turns back to Ezekiel, who’s watched the whole exchange with an open mouth, “Adam deserves a choice.”

“That’s crazy,” Ezekiel stutters.

Dean raises his eyebrows. “Adam getting a choice is crazy?”

“No, no, you wanting to change our _whole legal system_ is crazy.”

Dean shrugs. “Cas is kinda particular about doing shit by the books, so changing the books to be in our favor is the preferred option. Also, I doubt that a jailbreak is going to work out too well for either Adam or us. I’m pretty sure you’re aware of that or you would have tried breaking him out already. Unless, of course,” Dean gives Ezekiel a calculating look. “Unless Adam wouldn’t want to be broken out by you. Frying pan and fire and all that happy stuff.”

“Dean,” Sam puts a hand on his arm.

“Nah, Sam, I’m not trying to be rude. Just trying to figure this out.”

“I don’t know.” The sentence breaks out of Ezekiel. “I don’t know whether he’d want to be with me. Whether he’d ever want a mate again at all. We haven’t talked about it, okay? There was never a chance. Neither for us to  - become an _us_ , nor for me to break him out. Does that make you happy? Are you happy now?”

Sam’s hand on Dean’s arm tightens at Ezekiel’s show of temper but Dean shakes it off. “No. Nothing about this situation makes me happy,” he growls. “If I could make it happen, Adam would sit at the table with us and we’d have a couple of beers and talk about cars or the weather or whatever the fuck he wants to talk about. And then he’d tell us how the hell he wants his life to look like and we’d go about making it happen. As it is, I have no idea. All I know is that he wants all pups to be away from Michael and safe. So I’m going to fucking make that happen at least.”

For a moment, Ezekiel is visibly taken aback by Dean’s outburst, then his shoulders slump. “He doesn’t want to bring pups into his marriage,” he whispers.

“He doesn’t _want_ to?” Dean catches on immediately.

Ezekiel turns his head away, lips forming a tight line.

“Come on, man. We haven’t run squealing to Michael before, we won’t do it now.”

“He smuggles birth control.” It’s a toneless whisper. “Or rather, he now has an implant. When I – when I came to work for Michael, Adam was – he was sickly, fainting a lot. The doctors thought it was to do with his hormones. Well, it was,” Ezekiel says grimly. “I caught one of the household staff giving him homemade pills.”

Dean’s eyes turn wide as saucers. “Homemade contraception?”

Ezekiel’s smile resembles baring his teeth more than anything. “It’s a bigger market than all hallucinogenic drugs taken together.”

“How do you even know about that?” Sam asks.

Dean wouldn’t have thought that Ezekiel’s muscles could tighten anymore but they do. “The important thing is, I knew a doctor. A specialist. And I convinced Michael to let Adam go to him. Needless to say that the fainting stopped after. I pay the bills out of pocket. Until this very moment, no one but the doctor, Adam and I knew.”

It’s impressive. Also, fishy. Dean watches Ezekiel with new suspicion. “How did you know?” he echoes Sam’s question. “What the pills were? And how did you just happen to know an Omega specialist? There’s a lot of happenstance here.”

Ezekiel clenches his teeth so hard that Dean can actually hear it. “I don’t owe you my story. I’ll tell you what you need to know about Adam. But I don’t owe you anything else.” He growls it out openly hostile.

So, okay, apparently there is even more to the story than Dean expected. This time, it’s Dean’s hand on Sam’s arm to hold him back. Ezekiel is hostile, yes, but Dean doesn’t get the sense that he’ll attack any moment.

“Alright then. What about Luke’s kid? You just happen to know that as well?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Ezekiel crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ve crossed paths with Lucifer before.”

“So the info came from you?” Sam blinks.

“Yes,” Ezekiel nods abruptly. “It came from me and I gave it to Gabriel.”

“It didn’t come from Michael _or_ Adam?” Dean asks to make sure.

“You monitor my communication but you do not monitor every single person I meet when visiting home,” Ezekiel bites. “There’s still some info that makes it to me.”

“We’re not trying to…” Sam starts but trails off. Because they kind of do.

“I know it’s frustrating,” Dean says, and makes an effort to calm his voice. “To have everyone be suspicious of you all the time. Cause I gather Michael isn’t your biggest fan right now, either. But you gotta see our point of view, too. You don’t give us much to work with, man.”

“I am not a bad person!”

“No one said you were,” Sam sighs. “But let’s come back to that whole topic of you knowing Lucifer on top of Michael. I’m still not quite clear on that. Seems like an awful lot of coincidence.”

“It’s not,” Ezekiel answers tightly. “Lucifer helped me with a personal matter. Afterwards, he referred me to Michael for my current position.”

“Luke _helped_ you?” Dean asks doubtfully. From the little that Cas has talked about his big brothers, Lucifer had seemed a lot of things but not the helpful type.

“For a price,” Ezekiel nods.

“What price?” Sam asks but Ezekiel clamps his mouth shut. They wait for a while but nothing is forthcoming. “Okay. Do you know where he is now?”

This question, Ezekiel answers. “No. He disappeared a few years ago. And before you ask, to my knowledge Michael doesn’t know where he is, either. He might be dead for all I know. Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Why’s that?” Dean asks.

“What do you think?”

“Organized crime. That’s what I think,” Sam replies instantly.

“Seriously?” Dean says.

Sam shrugs, “With the rest of his family being such sticklers for rules, I guess it would give a rebel enormous glee to thwart all of them.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Dean agrees. “Though Bobby has never mentioned anything like it.”

“He does his best to make his business operations seem legit,” Ezekiel says. “Or, did. Seeing how he disappeared.”

“Is there anything to corroborate your story?” Sam asks. “Any hard proof for anything you’ve just said?”

“No,” Ezekiel shakes his head. “I mean, I guess you could ask Michael.”

“Right,” Dean snorts. “I’m sure that’s gonna be Cas’ first instinct.”

“Maybe it should be,” Sam throws in.

“What?” Dean and Ezekiel exclaim almost in unison.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” Sam shrugs. “And this is a perfect opportunity. It has nothing to do with Dean or Adam or you, Ezekiel. It has to do with Lucifer and his pup. It would make sense for Cas to ask whether Michael knows more about their brother’s whereabouts. If only to find out whether bringing the pup into the pack is a long-term arrangement or not.”

And that – makes a certain kind of sense. Not that Dean likes it any better because of it. “I’m not going to any dinner parties at Michael’s. Just that that’s clear. I love Cas to pieces but no one’s collaring me if I can help it.”

“Dude…” Sam is immediately taken aback.

“You’ve seen them, Sam! Or well, you’ve not seen _them_ but you’ve seen the rest of the assholes. I’m not going to make it even 15 minutes in there.”

“Like that’s going to matter,” Sam laughs. Dean just wants to explode when Sam continues, “Dude, Cas ain’t even going to make it five minutes. You’ll have no time to rip into them before he does.”

Dean closes his already open mouth, because yeah, he can see that happening. In fact, now that he’s thinking about it, he has a feeling that he’d have to be the one to somehow manhandle Cas out of the room before he can do any lasting damage. “Alright. I’ll give you that one,” he admits. “My mate is not exactly known for having a high tolerance for traditionalists.”

“Or for his brothers,” Sam agrees.

“That too, I guess,” Dean nods. The situation is shitty and the topic is awful, but he can’t help it, there is a hot flash of pride swelling in his chest for his mate who stubbornly believes in equality and tries to do the right thing and still is kind and compassionate to everyone he meets. Who’ll fight for basically a stranger over his own brothers when he sees that his brothers are doing damage. “Well, I guess you could tell Cas that whole thing about talking to Michael. See what he says. Just, don’t badger him if he doesn’t want to, alright? He’s got enough on his plate as is.”

“You’re sweet when you worry,” Sam grins.

Dean rolls his eyes. “Shut up, bitch.”

“Jerk.”

They both chuckle while Ezekiel just stares at them. Or through them, Dean isn’t quite sure. He looks a little vacant anyway. Like he’s either far away or has learned not to let his emotions show about any behavior he doesn’t condone. Cause somehow Dean is pretty sure that Ezekiel is at the very least completely out of his element in their pack. He guesses that status has always been important in his life, so to have a group of people as unruly as theirs must be a culture shock. It sobers Dean up.

“Is there anything else we can do?” Dean asks him. “For you or Adam I mean. We will notify Jody about the heightened security risk, obviously, and I’d like to ask you to tell us if Michael makes any attempt to contact you, but otherwise? I don’t think we have that many options.”

“No,” Ezekiel says. “I don’t think – I mean, the info came from me. Adam knew about it but he wasn’t – he wasn’t involved. I don’t think Michael can track anything back to him. I hope so at least. And if I try to contact him,” his scent changes to bitter almonds with the frustration of his situation. “No, it’s too risky. If Michael found out about that… No.”

“Yeah,” Dean says, “I think we just gotta sit tight for now. Let Cas handle the situation down South as best as he can and see what happens. I promise we’ll keep you updated, okay?”

Ezekiel nods unhappily. “Thank you,” he mumbles.

“Hey, it’s the least we can do.”

 

Neither of them is happy when Ezekiel leaves. It’s visible in the tight line of their shoulders and grim set of their jaws. They don’t talk about it, opting to just nod at each other before Sam gets out his cellphone and goes to call Cas while Dean takes a breather for ten minutes to calm down before checking up on the pups. He doesn’t need to make them nervous by smelling like an anxious wreck. So he goes to the bathroom and splashes his face with cold water.

He manages to mostly avert his thoughts from everything Ezekiel has told them and from the phone call Sam is making but Mary still wrinkles her nose and stares at him with suspicious blue eyes. It takes ten minutes after that before she starts asking after Alpha-Daddy. Then another ten minutes later Sam comes in and tells them Cas says Hi and that they’re trying to be back as soon as possible and that ends in a crying fit. When Dean doesn’t manage to calm her down again, he decides that it’s best to separate her from the twins and Deanie because they all start crying with her. So he leaves the twins with Sam and Eileen, who do their best to calm down three pups, while Cain shadows Dean and Mary on their way out. He stops, though, when Dean opens the door to his and Cas’ bedroom.

“You can come in,” Dean tells him over his shoulder. He plunks Mary and himself down on the bed. “See, Little Sunshine, Alpha-Daddy’s smell is all over. It’s almost as good as if he was here.”

“Is not!” She cries but immediately dives for Cas’ pillow and hugs it to herself.

“No, it’s not,” Dean agrees and rubs soothing circles into her back. “I miss him, too, Little Bug. But he’ll be back soon and then we’ll cuddle with him until it’s like he was never gone, okay?”

Mary is still hiccupping with tears but she nods. Or at least Dean assumes she does.

He leans against the headrest, putting his feet up on the bed and decides to wait her out. “You tell me when you want to cuddle with me and not just Daddy’s pillow, alright?”

She thinks about it for all of a moment before dragging the pillow over so that she can snuggle into Dean’s side while still hugging the pillow.

“Yeah, that’s better,” Dean smiles.

“No!” It’s muffled through the layers of pillow but it sounds stubborn more than heartbroken. Progress.

“Alright,” Dean gives in. “Not better, but at least comfy.” He looks up at Cain who’s still standing in the doorway. “You really can come in. The armchair by the window is quite comfortable.” Because yeah, Cas ain’t going to be too happy about having any other Alpha’s scent on their bed.

“My scent’s going to linger,” Cain says almost the same thought out loud.

Dean shrugs.

“It’ll cover up a part of Castiel’s scent.”

And okay, that’s actually something of an argument, seeing how Dean is currently using Cas’ scent to calm down his daughter. And how he himself snuggles into Cas’ smell at night as well. But still, “I doubt that you’ll manage to cover up all of his scent by staying for half an hour. This has been the master bedroom even before I moved in. It’s had a decade to soak up Cas’ smell.”

Cain looks unconvinced but after another heartbeat’s hesitation he cautiously makes his way inside. He avoids the area by the bed, opting to go straight for their reading chair by the window like Dean had asked him to. He picks up the book on the table next to it.

“The Beekeeper’s Bible,” he reads the title out loud. “I have a copy that he could have borrowed.”

Dean smiles. “I think he wanted to surprise you with new knowledge. We also have The Practical Beekeeper and Honeybee Democracy.”

“Good books,” Cain nods and gingerly sits down.

“I have a feeling it’s just the start,” Dean says fondly. “Cas is a bit of a nerd in case you hadn’t noticed. When he finds a topic interesting, he wants to know everything about it. And I mean _everything_.”

“It’s not a bad trait.”

“Never said it was,” Dean answers.

Mary’s hiccups have gotten quieter in the meantime and while she’s still clutching at Cas’ pillow, her muscles have slackened considerably. She’s going right from tantrum to falling asleep. Dean wishes his own emotional states could be as easily shifted.

He keeps his arm around her and tells Cain, “We’re gonna be here for a while. The young missus is going to have a well-earned nap and I don’t think I’ll be allowed to move. If I do, she’s just going to start crying again.”

Cain nods, unsurprised. “Does she always miss him this much?”

“Yes,” Dean nods and softly pets a hand through Mary’s hair. “She’s even worse than me that way.” He smiles. “It’s good, though. It’s good that her Alpha-Dad is her rock.” Because he sure never had that and as young as their pups are, he thinks he can already see the difference. “She’s all adventurous and shit, always dragging Deanie along to explore. She knows the twins are there, of course, but she’s not -,” His eyes flit up to Cain quickly before settling back on his daughter. He shouldn’t have started with this topic. “She knows they’re well taken care of. She knows it’s not her job to provide for them.”

“She gets to be a child. Unlike you.”

“Yeah.” Dean rubs his neck embarrassedly.  “Though I guess I was a little older when Mom – but even before…” He trails off with a shrug.

“How are you…,” Cain clears his throat, “How are you dealing with that?” There’s worry in his voice.

They haven’t talked about Dean’s mom since, well, since Dean poured his heart out at the hospital, for which he’s pretty sure Cain was completely unconscious and doesn’t remember it at all.  

“’s okay,” Dean fidgets a little uncomfortably. “It doesn’t – it doesn’t take me by surprise anymore quite as much as that first time when I remember something new now. It’s still a bit disconcerting.” Understatement. “I always thought I had it from her, you know? The whole thing about caring for others. Hell, even the pie. To learn that she never even baked one, that she always just bought them…” Dean shakes his head helplessly.

“Use honey. Instead of sugar. In your pies. It’ll make them better.”

“You like baking?” Dean asks surprised.

Cain shrugs. “I’ve got to make the sweets I want to eat.”

And that’s barely even a half-truth. Cain could always use the money he trades his produce for to buy sweets. And now, in their pack, he has a regular income as their ranger. It’s not all that much, but it would buy him Oreos and premade cupcakes if that’s what he wanted.

It makes Dean smile, at the same time that it gives him a queasy feeling in his stomach. “I had a feeling. That a lot of the stuff that I’ve attributed to her, I actually have from you.” He stops himself when he thinks about what he’s just said. He’s pretty sure that Cain’s not the type of Alpha to get angry at this but caring for others and liking to bake pies are Omega qualities. Dean might like them about himself and might like them about Cain, too, but that’s not to say that it’s going to be taken as a compliment. “Or I might, you know, just like pie. It’s not like it’s a hereditary trait or something,” he plays it down. “I’ll bake you one someday.”

Cain smiles at him. “We can trade. You bake me a pecan pie, I’ll bake you a honey apple pie.”

“Deal,” Dean smiles back.

 

Cas calls back during dinner. Dean hands Mary’s spoon over to Cain and excuses himself from the room.

“How did it go?” He asks though the real question is: _what did you do? Did you contact your brother or not?_

“It was a long day.” Cas sounds exhausted. “But there’s a confused pup in the next room with Gabriel and Balthazar.”

“Oh, thank God! So he’s theirs now?”

“Technically, he’s mine. For the time being anyway.”

Cas sighs at the same time that Dean says. “It never changes, huh?” 

“Well, I guess we’ve all come to expect it by now,” Cas answers tiredly. “Maybe one day I’ll get used to it, too.”

“Or we’re gonna change the world and you won’t have to.” Dean tries to make it sound like it’s an actual possibility. He said it to Ezekiel, didn’t he? That they’d try to change the world.  

“Yeah, maybe,” Cas says and Dean can hear that he’s smiling, even if his voice is still tired. So that’s something.

“I miss you,” Dean says quietly.

“I miss you, too. I mean, the rugrats, too. But mainly you.”

They sit in silence for a moment, listening to each other’s breathing. Then Dean clears his throat. “Did Sam… did he tell you his idea?”

“Contacting Michael.”

“Yeah, that.”

There is no smile in Cas’ voice anymore. “Dean, I haven’t talked to my Alpha-brothers in a very long time.”

“Yeah, Cas, I’m aware. So is Sam.”

“Then you’re also aware of my feelings towards this.”

“Hey, it’s not like Sam or I have any fond feelings for the guy. It’s just that… I hate to even say this, but Sam’s got a point. This is the best chance we’ve had so far to find stuff out directly.”

“Michael’s tried to take our daughter!”

“I haven’t forgotten, Cas. And believe me, I don’t want to end up collared. Not even for a fucking courtesy visit.”

“You wouldn’t,” Cas interrupts immediately. “He wants to deal with us, he’ll have to deal with _us_.”

“Yeah, somehow I don’t think he actually wants to deal with us. It’s kind of us who want something from him, isn’t it?”

“Dean, I can’t go to him and tell him that we want to free – our perspective doesn’t even make sense to him and I’m not the right person to convince him otherwise. He’s never once in his life listened to anything I’ve told him.”

“That was when all you were was his little brother. You grew up, Cas. I’m sure he knows it, too.”

“Dean, I’m… I’m neither sure that I can do this, nor that I want to do this.”

“Yeah,” Dean nods. “I understand that. And you’re right, it’s been a long day. You did good. You got a pup out of a bad place and into a good home. You deserve some rest.”

“Dean, there is – there is something else.”

“Oh oh.”

“No, no it’s not that bad. I think. But it will cost us the morning. And I’m not sure,” Cas clears his throat. “I’m honestly not sure what to do after.”

“You’re making me nervous, man. And I wasn’t feeling particularly settled before. Just spill.”

“Kelly. The pup’s mother. I think we have a shot at buying her out of her contract.”

“Oh. Wow.” Dean is speechless for the moment. He hadn’t actually expected that.

“I know, I know. We’ll have to bring her back. And I have no idea – she’ll have to stay with us. At least for a bit. Judging by her age, this is not the first facility she was in. She missed anything between 10 and 15 years while she was – inside. She needs help, Dean. And I know we’re ill-equipped and I know that it’s not fair to put another Omega up in our house, but…”

“Breathe, Cas. Breathe,” Dean interrupts, even though the thought opens up a chasm inside him. Another Omega. Cas is talking about another Omega living in their house. Dean shakes his head to clear the hormonally induced rising panic. They’re talking about an Omega who’s been used and abused for a decade. An Omega who is in all likelihood too traumatized to function on her own. An Omega who needs help. “Bring her here, Cas,” Dean says and is glad that phones don’t transmit scents. “Our pack is a good place to heal.” That at least is undoubtedly the truth.

“It won’t be forever,” Cas says. “And we can set rules as to how much contact she gets with us or our pups.”

Dean rubs a tired hand over his face. “Yeah.” Though he knows that that’s not going to be how this works. If Cas brings this woman here to heal, they’ll help her heal. And that means treating her no less than anyone else in their household. “We’ll see about that. I’ll ask Hannah to make up an extra room.”

“Make it a room somewhere near Meg.”

“Will do,” Dean nods because Meg is a nurse after all. She’s stubborn and persistent and a good choice to coax someone out of their shell, even if she every so often is also an asshole. “You’re still coming home tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Barring any further surprises, yes.”

“Please try to have no more surprises,” Dean pleads. It’s only half-jokingly. “Your daughter is getting hard to handle.”

“What’s wrong with her? Did something happen?” Cas is instantly alarmed.

“You’re not here, Cas. That’s what happened. Had to calm her down by putting her in your bed today. Your pillow is probably still soaked from where she cried into it.”

There is a long silence on the other end of the line. Cas’ voice is thin and vulnerable when he answers. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Dean sighs. “She’s calmed down for now and she’s gotta learn it eventually, that you can’t always be close, but that you’ll never abandon her. That you always come back.”

“I will,” Cas promises. “You know that I will.”

“I know it,” Dean soothes him. “You’re not your Dad. You don’t just up and disappear.”

“Never,” Cas says. “I love you all way too much.”

“Come home soon, little Alpha?”

“I will.”

 

The night starts reasonably well for Dean, meaning he’s already gotten a few hours of decent sleep when the baby monitor comes alive. He expects it to be the twins but in the next moment figures out that it is Mary. Shit.

He jumps up faster than normal because Mary crying means four crying pups if he isn’t fast enough.

When he gets to the nursery, the noise is louder than expected. Which is, it turns out, because Eileen is already walking towards him, holding a crying Mary who is trying to box and kick her.

“Daddy!” Mary yells at full volume. “ _Daddy!!!_ ”  

Dean sprints the last few feet down the hall, mostly worried that Mary might do actual damage to Eileen. “Here, here. I’m here, Little One, it’s all good.”

He manages to take her from Eileen but immediately has to readjust his grip because she struggles against him. “ _Daddy!!_ ”

“He’s not here, Love. He’s coming back tomorrow.” But it’s to no avail. Dean can’t sign with the way he has to hold on to the ball of angry energy in his arms so he turns to Eileen. “I’ll take her back to the bedroom. Can you check on the others?”

“Yes,” she nods.

“She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“No,” Eileen smiles and shakes her head. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” He going to need it.

Getting back to the bedroom at least has the advantage that he can put the screaming bundle that is his daughter down on the bed instead of being afraid of his grip slipping and dropping her to the floor.

But that’s about the only advantage. Where Cas’ pillow had calmed her down during the day, it now only makes her cry harder. “Daddy,” she sobs.

Dean isn’t sure that the lower volume makes anything better because the pure heartbreak in her voice and scent makes his own heart heavy as well. “He is going to be back, Sweetheart. He didn’t leave us. He is going to be back tomorrow.”

But she keeps crying and when he tries to put his arms around her in a hug, she wriggles out from under his touch.

“Okay,” Dean says, though it makes his heart hurt to see her struggling like this and not knowing what to do to help. “I’ll stay here, okay? You’re not alone, Love. I’m always here for you.”

“Daddy,” she cries stubbornly. “Want daddy.”

“Yeah, I want him to be back, too,” Dean agrees. “And he will be. I promise.” His eyes fall on his phone on the nightstand and it gives him an idea. “Hey, want to look at pictures of Daddy?”

She stops in the middle of a sob to think about it. She starts sniffling again a moment later but she comes to crawl over to him and this time, when he opens his arm she snuggles into his side.

“Okay, let’s see,” Dean takes his phone. “We’ll have to go to the gallery to find pictures of Daddy.”

“Daddy!” Mary reaches out and puts her finger on the first image of her Alpha-Dad she finds.

“No, that’s his contact – ah f-ork.” But the phone is already ringing. Dean quickly hits the end call button.

“Daddy!” Mary exclaims stubbornly and goes right back to stabbing her finger at Cas’ contact photo.

“No, Honey, no,” Dean holds the phone out of her reach which prompts her to dissolve into angry tears again. Which obviously is the moment when Dean’s phone starts ringing. “I’m so sorry,” he says to Cas in lieu of a greeting.

“Dean, what’s wrong, is everything okay?” Cas asks, worry and grogginess warring in his voice. “Is that Mary screaming? Is she hurt?”

“No, no, she’s – Mary, no! That hurts!” He disentangles himself from where his daughter is now trying to get the phone from him. “I’m putting him on speaker if you manage to sit next to me, okay? Actually, Cas, can we facetime? Seeing how you’re awake already?” He asks with a guilty voice. But now that they’ve woken him up anyway, Dean’s going to use the opportunity if it means that maybe he can get some sleep tonight after all.

Cas hangs up without further words to call back on their app a few seconds later. Dean uses the time to sit Mary down next to him. She’s still crying but her whole concentration is now on the phone. As soon as it rings, she holds out her hands for it.

“No,” Dean says determinedly. “We’ll look at the screen together and we can both talk to him but I hold the phone.”

She pouts but she puts her arms back in her lap.

“Hey,” Dean says when he takes Cas’ call. “Thanks for this.”

“It’s no problem.” Cas looks drawn and like he should be sleeping, hair even messier than usual. But he smiles when he sees his daughter. “Hey, Little Bug, how are you?”

“Daddy.” She starts crying harder again and grabbing for the screen. Less like she’s grabbing the phone and more like she’s trying to grab Cas through the screen, though.

“Yeah, I’m right here, Little One. What’s up? Did you have a bad dream?”

She nods, while loudly sniffing back her snot.

“What did you dream, Sunshine?”

“Daddy gone.” It comes out muffled, what with her still crying.

“But I’m right here, Sweetheart.” Cas yawns. “And you even have Grandpa to keep you company.”

“Want to go bees.” It’s a little clearer than the last sentence.

“When I’m back, Honey. For now, Grandpa and Dada are going to play inside with you and Deanie. Okay?”

“Hmpf.” She makes an unconvinced noise but she’s visibly calming down.

“Want me to tell you a bedtime story? To make the bad dream go away?”

She nods vigorously.

“Come on, Young Lady, we gotta lie down for bedtime stories,” Dean tells her and they rearrange themselves until they’re both horizontal, Mary still pressed into his side with her eyes glued to the screen. “Okay, we’re ready.”

“Alright then. Well, once upon a time…”

Dean lets the story wash over him. It’s strung together pieces of different fairy tales and little stories from their lives. It’s not particularly coherent but Dean’s not sure it has to be, because Mary stops sniffling completely after a while and eventually her eyes close. He still lets Cas talk for another five minutes before he softly interrupts. “The princess is asleep. I think the dragon rescue can wait till another day.”

“Oh, thank God,” Cas sighs. “I didn’t actually have any idea about that yet.” He yawns.

“Thank you, Cas. That was awesome. I don’t think I would have gotten much sleep otherwise. And sorry again. She got to the phone before I could stop her.”

Cas frowns. “Why didn’t you call me yourself?”

“Cause you’re exhausted. D’uh.”

“Dean, you look just as exhausted as I do,” Cas points out.

“Yeah, but I only have to wrangle the rugrats and stuff. You have actual meetings with actual people to attend.”

“Our pups are people, Dean,” Cas answers drily.

Dean rolls his eyes fondly. “You know what I mean.”

“I was able help with this, though. Let me help when I can?” He says it with puppy dog eyes like he actually wants to be woken in the middle of the night to tell his daughter incoherent stories.

“Okay,” Dean gives in. “But I’m kind of hoping that the crisis is averted for now. Pretty impressively, too.”

“Yeah, I had no idea whether that would work, either. Last time, facetiming just upset her even more.”

“It’s been a few months, though. She’s learning.”

“How to make phone calls, apparently.”

“Yeah,” Dean chuckles. “I need to set a childproof passcode.”

“That’s probably for the better.” Cas yawns yet again.

“Okay, I’ll let you go. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Cas mumbles, his head already hitting the pillow.

Dean watches him for a minute, pretty sure that Cas has already fallen back asleep, though he hasn’t even turned out the lights. He smiles at the grainy picture and softly swipes a finger across Cas’ cheek and wishes his mate was actually here for him to cuddle into.

 

Dean wakes up with Mary still snuggled into him. It’s actually quite an okay way to wake up, especially since she doesn’t immediately start crying when she wakes up. In fact, she’s easier to handle than she was yesterday. The late-night phone call with Cas apparently helped. Maybe she’s starting to figure out the difference between a recording and an actual live phone call.

Still, Eileen looks at him with commiseration when he yawns for the tenth time while feeding Rob.

Sam doesn’t have quite as much compassion. “You look like shit, man.”

“No cussing around the pups.” But it lacks heat so all Sam does is pat him on the shoulder.

The rest of the day goes on much like yesterday. They’re all tense and getting tenser the later it gets. There’s still no word from Cas. Hannah takes the news that they’ll have a rescue Omega as house guest with usual equanimity. Meg’s face on the other hand turns into a hard mask. And yeah, Dean guesses in her time as a nurse she’s seen a lot of shitty stuff and she’s not looking forward to seeing more of it.

Dean himself is still not sure how to feel about the whole thing. The only other Omega who’s regularly in their house is Cas’ brother, and even that wasn’t all fun in the beginning. Now, the rational part of his brain tells him that it’s the alligator part of his brain that’s overreacting, but then he thinks about this unknown Omega in a car with Cas for the whole trip back, the enclosed space ripe with her scent and he actually has to leave the room for a while to calm down. He doesn’t like his own reaction, wants to be more enlightened than this, but it’s hard fighting his thoughts down.

He wonders how it would be with Adam. Adam is technically family, but he’s only married into the Novak Clan, he doesn’t share their scent. And Cas has wanted to be protective of him before. Now there’s also Ezekiel and if Adam is in love with Ezekiel, then that’s that and it’ll never become an issue. But what if he isn’t? What if the only safe place for him to stay is their house? Somehow, that feels even more dangerous than this whole Kelly situation.

Because Kelly may have been chosen by one of Cas’ brothers as compatible but she was chosen for compatible DNA. Adam was chosen for a compatible life.

And all of this is crazy and Dean knows it but that doesn’t make it go away.

Dean actually kind of jumps when his phone finally rings. “Cas?”

“Hello, Dean.” There is a smile there like Cas is relieved to hear Dean’s voice. “We’re about ten minutes out. Ellen and I are bringing Kelly, so can you please tell Meg to be there and the other Alphas to make themselves scarce for the moment? I don’t think Kelly is up for any family time today. Meg can help her get settled in.”

“I’ll tell her,” Dean nods. “Gabe and Bal and the pup?”

“They set out before us and will go back directly to their place. The pup is still overwhelmed with being out of the facility. We thought gradual exposure to the world would be best.”

“Okay,” Dean nods. “I’ll tell the others.”

“I’ll see you in a few minutes then.”

“Looking forward to it.” He means it from the bottom of his heart.

“Yeah, me too.” And judging by the undisguised longing in his voice, Cas feels the same.

 

The minute Dean tells the others that Cas is on his way, Mary lights up. Her excitement is catching, so Deanie wobbles after her when she makes the track to the front hall.

“I’ll get them back,” Sam says.

“Nah, it’s okay,” Dean holds him back. “Just take the twins and stay in the background for a bit? It’s bad enough that the whole house smells like Alpha these days.”

Sam rolls his eyes but he snatches Ben and Rob from the playpen. “We’re being banished for the moment,” he tells them. “Yes, we are.” They smile and grab at his hair in response. With both of them in his arms, Sam has no free hand to stop them, so he tries to at least whip his hair back behind his shoulders. Which of course only manages to make both pups cackle and grab at his hair even harder. “Yeah, we’re going to find Eileen and make you let go of my hair, you rascals.” But he’s still smiling.

“Should I go?” Cain asks.

“Well, if you could also stay back for the moment? Just until Kelly is settled,” Dean asks him.

“No, I meant, should I go home? Your mate is going to be back in a few minutes. You don’t need me anymore.”

“You don’t have to go,” Dean shakes his head. “I mean, you can if you want. I understand that spending 24 hours a day with the circus is a bit much.”

Surprisingly, that gets him a smile. “I think I’m getting used to it,” Cain says sagely.

“’s a good thing if you ask me,” Dean answers with a smile of his own.

“I’ll stay until he’s actually here and it’s certain that everything is okay,” Cain decides. “But then, don’t worry if you don’t find me in the house. I’ll make my way home when he’s back.”

“You sure?” Dean asks. “None of us minds if you stay a bit longer.”

“I’m sure,” Cain confirms.

“Alright,” Dean nods. “Thanks for being here. We enjoyed it.”

“I did, too,” Cain answers.

And then the doorbell is ringing. It’s a few minutes earlier than expected.

“I gotta run, I’m sorry.” Because Mary is small but she has figured out how to open the front door.

“Go,” Cain nods.

By the time Dean has sprinted into the entrance hall, Mary is already trying her level best to turn the key in its lock.

“Mary Novak!” He addresses her sternly. “What have I told you about opening the front door on your own?”

She flinches away from the door but points at it and urgently says, “Daddy!”

“Yeah, and I will let Daddy in. But only grown-ups are allowed to open the door.”

She pouts but holds on to his pant leg when Dean goes to check the security camera feed before unlocking the door. Deanie watches the commotion from a step behind Mary. The security feed shows Cas and Ellen and a slim woman with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Dean’s heart lurches in his chest.  

“ _Daddy!!_ ” Mary launches herself off the minute the door is open and she sees Cas.

Cas immediately drops down on his haunches so that he’s at her height. “Hello Sunshine, I missed you.”

She jumps into his arms, almost toppling him over. Deanie follows a second later. Cas wraps both of them into his arms.

“Hey, Sweethearts. Hi.” He presses kisses to both of their foreheads.

“Daddy!” Mary buries her face into Cas’ neck. Deanie makes gurgling noises but doesn’t seem to want to let go of Cas, either.

Cas chuckles and hoists them both up when he’s getting back to his feet. “I wish I could say a proper hello to you but I seem to have become occupied territory.”

Dean laughs. “Yeah, little Alpha, it’s fine. The welcome I want to give you is not appropriate in front of the pups anyway.” But he still moves in for a kiss, wrapping the whole group of them in a hug of his own to get to his mate. “I’m glad that you’re home.”

“Yeah, me too,” Cas nods and leans back in to get another kiss.

It’s not until Ellen clears her throat loudly that they finally break apart.

“Hi Ellen,” Dean greets her with a smile and a wave. “And, uhh, Kelly, right?” He turns to the Omega for the first time.

She has the blanket wrapped around her shoulders tightly, making her body almost disappear underneath it. Her eyes flit up to him for a second before she fastens them back to the ground. She doesn’t answer him.

“They called them by their contract numbers. In there,” Ellen explains quietly. “I fear it’ll take a while before she’s used to being called by her name again.”

“Okay,” Dean nods. “That’s okay.” Though it is anything but. He looks back at Cas, raising his eyebrows in question.

Cas’ eyes have clouded over with pain and with anger but he keeps himself very deliberately away from their group. “Can you two find Meg and show Kelly her room? I want to go check on the twins and everyone else.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Ellen nods.

Dean nods, too. “She knows your ETA. Meg, I mean. I’m sure she’ll meet us here in a minute.”

“Okay.” Cas throws a last worried glance at Kelly, nods at Dean and determinedly moves deeper into the house.

Dean looks at Ellen. She’s known Kelly for half a day but it’s half a day longer than Dean’s known her.

“Most of the nurses in there are betas,” Ellen says grimly.

So she doesn’t trust Ellen anymore than she trusts Cas. Which is unfortunate, seeing how Meg is both a nurse and a beta as well.

“Hey,” Dean goes a few steps closer. “I’m Dean.”

Kelly tightens her hold on the blanket and nods. It’s all the acknowledgement he gets.

“I, uhh, I have no idea how much they’ve told you about us or our household.” He pauses and looks at Ellen.

She shrugs. “Cas tried.”

“Okay,” Dean nods. All day he’s been not all that happy about this but now that he sees her – Kelly is no danger. Kelly is a victim who needs to be protected. He turns back to her. “I get it. My situation wasn’t half as shitty as yours but I needed a while to get used to it as well. So I guess the few things that are the most important for now are that there’s pretty much nothing you can do wrong. You wanna talk to us, that’s fine. You don’t wanna talk to us, that’s fine, too. I mean, we’re gonna try to make sure that you eat and if you need any medical attention, we’re gonna see to it that that happens as well.”

And the way Kelly flinches at the words _medical attention_ that’s probably not a good association there. So Dean smooths that over quick.

“There’s a woman who’s going to show you around and show you your room and stuff. She’s a beta and she’s – well, she’s Meg. You don’t gotta like her…”

“Well, thanks, Winchester,” Meg rolls her eyes when she comes in.

“… but she’s actually a kinda decent person under the bristly exterior,” Dean finishes his sentence. “And it’s Novak, thank you very much.”

“Whatever,” Meg shrugs. “So you’re Kelly?” She looks her up and down. “Well, I guess you could be in worse shape. You got some paperwork for me?” She turns to Ellen.

“It’s still in the car, we haven’t brought the luggage in yet.”

“Well, then I guess we’ll leave you to do that and go for a stroll in the meantime. Follow me, please.” She puts a hand on Kelly’s shoulder to steer her.

Dean isn’t quite sure what he thinks of it. He’d have preferred it to give Kelly the time to follow on her own. But then, Meg isn’t necessarily known for her patience.

“You sure that she’s actually a decent person?” Ellen asks with a frown.

“Yeah, mostly,” Dean answers. “Sometimes I wonder. So, luggage?”

They go out to the car to retrieve not only Cas’ suitcase but also a stack of papers.

“They didn’t want to give us digital copies. I fear she has more paperwork than clothes right now.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Dean frowns at the mountain of paper.

“Dean.” Suddenly Ellen’s hand is on his arm. “Make sure he’s okay.”

“He?” The pronoun throws him. They were talking about Kelly after all.

Ellen gives him a tight smile. “Well, I know that you will all work together to make sure _she_ gets better. But I think this thing with her is hitting Cas harder than even the kid, and he’s going to try to play it down.”

“Because he doesn’t think he has the right to get upset.”

Ellen nods. “I helped him look for her, back then.”

“For his Omega parent?”

“Yes,” Ellen nods. “We never found out more than her number and that she was female. And when they called Kelly by number instead of by name…” She shakes her head.

“Yeah,” Dean agrees. That would hit anyone hard, he thinks, but Cas probably a little more than others.

“Promise me you’ll make sure he’s okay.”

“I will,” Dean nods. “I always do.”

She squeezes his elbow for a moment. “I know.” Then she sighs. “I should see that I get home. Do you think you can deal without me?”

“If not, we’re just gonna call you back.”

“True,” Ellen laughs good-naturedly. “Tell Cas I’ll be back tomorrow in any case. There’s a lot of small print to worry about.”

“He’ll be thrilled, I’m sure,” Dean answers drily.

“Of course,” Ellen answers just as deadpan before getting into her car.

Dean waves her off and goes back into the house.

It isn’t hard to guess where Cas is, so Dean makes his way straight to the nursery.

And indeed, Cas is collapsed on the couch in the nursery, Mary still hanging off of his neck, the twins climbing around on him trying to each get a hold of the tie. Only Deanie has decided that the couch is too crowded and sits on the floor examining a few wooden blocks.

Dean stays in the doorway to watch the scene. It’s only now, somehow, that he really realizes that Cas is back. That things went as well as could be expected and that tonight if his daughter starts crying, he can just send Cas in to deal with it.

“You could come in and help, you know?”

Dean hadn’t been aware that Cas noticed him, but apparently, he has. “It’s kind of fun watching you buried under the onslaught of the pups,” Dean grins. Nevertheless, he makes his way over to the couch and swoops up an unresisting Ben to settle down next to Cas.

Immediately, Cas falls over completely, smooshing his face into Dean’s side.

“Alright, little Alpha,” Dean chuckles and puts his arm around Cas to find a position that is more comfortable for both of them.

“Mmpf,” Cas answers.

“Yeah, I know. It’s been a long few days everywhere. But now you’re home.”

“Mmpf.”

“You did good, Cas,” Dean places a kiss on his hair. “Made the world a slightly better place. That’s all anyone can do in a day.”

In response, Cas wraps the arm that he doesn’t need to hold Mary around Dean’s waist.

“It’s okay, little Alpha,” Dean mumbles into his hair. “You’re okay. We’re okay, too. And Kelly and the pup will be okay as well.” He hopes that it’s true, anyway.

“Jack.”

“Hmm?”

“They named him Jack.”

“Jack, huh?”

“Yes,” Cas nods. “They seemed very certain. I haven’t asked them why.”

“Well, Jack it is,” Dean agrees amiably. “It’s a good name. Or at least no worse than any other. Does, uhh, does it change anything that Kelly is here?”

Cas sits up a little bit, trying to loosen Mary’s hold on his shirt. “I’m not sure. Gabe and Bal set out before we even got her out. She hasn’t seen the pup since he was born. And she hasn’t said anything about wanting to see him. Not that she’s said very much at all.”

Dean places a comforting hand on Cas’ thigh. “It’ll be okay either way.” He knows how personal this is for Cas. Because if Kelly doesn’t want to see her son, Cas has to assume that his mother had similar feelings about him. But if she does want to be close to her son, well, that brings a whole host of other complications.

Dean’s phone vibrates in his pocket before Cas can answer. Not that Dean is sure that he intends to answer. He pulls the phone out of his pocket and checks the notifications. He’s got a new text message. He opens it. “Oh shit.” He clamps his mouth shut the moment he notices that he’s forgotten his own policy about cussing in front of the pups but Cas is already alert and sitting up.

Dean holds out the phone so that he can read.

_Candyman: Ezekiel is gone._

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no, such a long installment and then this – a cliffhanger! Mean, mean author. So, what do you think? Will Ezekiel do something stupid? What will happen next with Michael? Will we #saveAdam2k18? *sweats nervously* Oh, and side-note: if you have any suggestions for Dean’s thesis, bring them on!


End file.
